Partner up for Success

I was talking to a good friend the other day about our fitness goals and she asked me to talk on my blog about the importance of having an accountability partner.  I have since thought about this subject a lot in order to make sure that I cover the subject properly.

I recall the years that I spent in high school and the different friends that I hung out with.  Each friend was a little different but they all were kind and supportive.  But the main difference that I remember is that they all liked different kinds of music.  I found myself jumping around from listening to country to alternative and pop.  Each of my friends influenced me in a different way.  That's why it's important the friends and people that you chose to associate with.  You want people around you that will make you a better person and put you in a good mood.  Its the same with and accountability partner too.

It is important to have a friend or family member (someone that you can trust) as a sounding board as you go through any transformation in your life.  Just knowing that someone is going to ask you about the progress you have made makes you more likely to really change for fear of letting them down.

Some people like to have a gym buddy, someone that they work out with.  There are positives and negatives to this.  The positive is that you might not have gone to the gym if you did not have your buddy.  But the negative is that if your buddy decides to not go the gym for what ever reason you probably would not go alone.  There are many things that can happen and you want to have the strength to stand on your own if you have to because you are changing your whole life and the only person you can guarantee will be there is you.

You must find a partner that you can connect with every week either on the phone in person or on the internet.  The person that you chose should be encouraging and motivating to you.  Try to chose people that want you to succeed and are positive about the changed that you want to make in your life.  If you do this the chances of you finding success are more in your favor.

Make sure to write down your goals... 75% of what we write down happens, doing this sets the brain in motion.  So get out a piece of paper and and write down your goals and post them where you can see them everyday.

Write down a weekly action check list.  This would be all the things that you are going to do to accomplish that goal.  This way you can see how the goal you have set will be met and talk your accountability partner about what you are going to do.

Also you need to declare to the world what you are going to do or change in your life.  Tell your family and friends and if you don't feel comfortable with that tell some strangers online.  You are far more likely to reach your goals if the people around you that you love know your goal too.  For example if your goal is to lose weight and your family knows this they might try to bring more healthy options to the next family get together.

Lastly you need to celebrate how great you are.  If you slip up tell yourself that you will be better tomorrow and then celebrate all the times that you showed great strength and willpower.  You can do anything because you are awesome and deserve all the good that is in the world.  You are much stronger than you think and can do anything that you set your mind to do.

Once you have accomplished your goals pay it forward.  This way it keeps you in check to the people that you are helping and knowing that they look up to you will keep you from going back to your old ways.  We can all help and lift one another and in the end we will all be better for it.


-Debbie Walter

10 Ways to Break Bad Health Habits

Choosing a healthy lifestyle is not, unfortunately, one of those "set it and forget it" decisions. Don't we all wish it were? Instead, it's a result of many smaller choices we make every day—with every meal. Every snack. And every workout.

You always start the day with the best intentions. You eat a thoughtful breakfast. You pack a sensible lunch, and even remember to bring it with you to work. But then comes mid-afternoon, a dip in energy, and lowered self-control. If you're already in that weakened state and you hear that there are cupcakes in the office for someone's birthday, well, in the words of Donnie Brasco, "Fuhgeddaboudit."

Healthy habits only become habits when you do them more than once.
Instead of setting yourself up to fail, you can set yourself up to make good choices by planning ahead. That will give you a fighting chance to succeed. So where do you begin?
Identifying your weaknesses is the first step. Figure out where you're likely to slip up, and you can take action to prevent it. Here are 10 common problems that derail many of us, and suggestions for how to fight back.

1. Avoid eating late at night. Your metabolism slows down when you sleep, so late-night calories are harder to burn off. Fight back: Eat small meals or snacks every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day. Time your meals so that you stop 2 to 3 hours before you go to bed.
   
   
2. Don't grab fast food on impulse. You're already on your way to avoiding this one if you're eating regular small meals and snacks. You'll keep your brain fed, so it doesn't shut down. Fight back: Pack healthy snacks and bring them with you. These can be simple—a small handful of raw almonds is a better choice than a greasy burger.
   
   
3. If you shouldn't eat it, don't put it in your shopping cart. Seriously. If you put it in your shopping cart, it comes home with you. And you know it's there. Fight back: It's much harder to eat junk food in a moment of stress or weakness if it's not in your house.
   
   
4. If you're tempted by junk food, look in the mirror. Think it through—those calories will go somewhere. And probably somewhere you've spent hours in the gym trying to slim and shape. So a bad choice now will just mean more effort later. Fight back: Reach for a piece of fruit instead.
   
   
5. Don't eat for comfort. If something gets you stressed or upset, take a breath, not a bite. Knowing that you're taking good care of yourself, even when you're down, will help you to feel better more quickly. Fight back: Try calling a friend, taking a 10-minute walk around the block, or playing with your pet. Or working out.
   
   
6. Find healthy versions of your favorite guilty pleasures. Stock your kitchen with those instead. Fight back: Craving ice cream? A creamy low-fat yogurt could hit the spot. Want the crunch of chips? Try snacking on fresh red peppers, sliced jicama, or baked kale chips (they're easy to make, and astonishingly tasty).
   
   
7. Pay attention to portion size. You don't need to eat heaping helpings. Fight back: If you absolutely must have ice cream, grab a teacup instead of a bowl. You'll get the taste you crave, but in a much smaller serving.
   
   
8. Make exercise a priority. It's easy to let it feel optional and get lost in the shuffle. Fight back: Plan your workout schedule for the week and stick to it. If that feels too daunting, start by committing to 1 day. Then try planning for 2 days, and build from there. When you start seeing results, you won't want to stop.
   
   
9. Just work out—don't ask yourself if you want to. Most people (myself included) would answer "No." Fight back: Just commit, get in your workout clothes, and Push Play. You'll be sweating, happy, and proud of yourself before you know it.
   
   
10. Must have chocolate? Reach for chocolate Shakeology^®. It's made with real cocoa, so it hits that chocolate nerve—as well as providing essential vitamins and minerals to nourish your body, and cleansing prebiotics to gently eliminate built-up toxins from eating processed foods.

Overall, keep your larger goal in mind: to live a healthy, fulfilling life. Let that aim inform your individual choices. They'll transform from problems into stepping stones on your path to success.

By Amy Ludwig

Get fit this year not fat....Challenge

Lets start our new years resolutions early and go into the new year right

Let the games begin....

Who does not like some healthy competition right!

To enter the challenge click here http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122522454476773&num_event_invites=0#!/event.php?eid=122522454476773

At the beginning of the challenge I will take the before weight and store them privately.  At the end of the 30 days I will calculate the winner based on the new totals.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to start with a cleanse.... watch the video below. 

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/debbiewalter?bctid=16664447001

If you buy shakeology on home direct you will also get 2 free workouts a shaker cup and free shipping.  You can return it if you don't like it and get your money back.  So you have nothing to lose but the fat.  If you want to save 25% on your shakeology and help others I can help you with that too.  Just message me for details :)

The winner gets a 2 night stay at a hotel at one of the following locations......

Las Vegas, Nv, Laughlin, NV, Reno NV, Lake Tahoe NV, Daytona Beach FL, Atlantic City NJ, Anaheim CA (Disneyland Area), Cancun MX, Puerto Vallarta MX, Mazatlan MX, Palm Springs CA, San Antonio TX, Pocono Mountains PA, Gatlinburg TN, Branson MO, White Mountain NH, New Orleans LA, Honolulu HI, Myrtle Beach SC, Orlando FL......

(This is a travel voucher that will be redeemed for 15 dollars, plus any room tax per night ranging from 7-10 dollars)
If you want to win this enter the contest and may the best loser win :) 

When to Exercise...

A friend of mine recently told me that I need to tell you guys how much exercise I really do to stay in shape.
I only do the recomended work out for the day for the program that I am doing.  If I am doing Turbo Jam all I do in one day is one workout.  I am not going to the gym and running on the treadmill for hours like they do in the biggest losser.

I have lost all my weight pound by pound over time, I lost it slowly which my doctor said was the best way.
I like to workout to certain programs, and I have tried all sorts of stuff and the Beachbody programs are by far the best and I feel that I am getting lost of bang for my buck.

When I began to exercise I strugled to know when the best time of day to do it was.  The simple anwser is the best time is the time of day that you have avalible, and the time you can give it your all.

If you are not a morning person don't worry about it, you can do it at night too.

I have learned some tricks and number one is to do your workout on an empty stomach.  When you workout on an empty stomach your body looks for stored fat to give you energy.  So instead of burning the food you just ate you can burn body fat.

I found that I get sick to my stomach when I workout when I have something in my stomach.  but some people need a little something in the morning before they get going.  Try it out and do what works for you becasue we are all a little different.

Make sure that you set aside time to get your workout done and make it non negotiable.  Think of it as an apointment for you and you deserve to be healthy.  It takes 21 days to form a habit so keep that in mind when you begin and just push play.

Turbo Fire!!!!!

What is Turbo Fire?  Its a new program by Chalene Johnson that will burn all the fat off your body while you dance punch, kick and hit.  If you have heard of Turbo Jam and you have tried it you have not seen anything yet.  Turbo Fire is more intense and has the most amazing music.  You can feel Chalene's vivacious personality coming thru the screen at you.  Its fun and you will sweat and burn a ton of calories.  I was so excited to get this program and it did not disappoint.

The difference in these training are the hiit's the article below I found on it helps explain it.

The beauty of HIIT Training (from AskMen.com):

So you've finally added enough muscle to your body, but you still seem to have that extra layer of "padding." You see it whenever you look in the mirror: the dreaded excess body fat that has accumulated as a result of a little too much food during your quest for muscle mass.

You are probably thinking that you will have to endure never-ending torture on the treadmill, bike or elliptical in order to destroy this extra layer and reveal your newly chiseled physique. Well, the good news is that you won't.

what is hiit?

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is cardio performed at such an intense level that your body will spend the rest of the day expending energy to recover from the ass-kicking you gave it. This is commonly referred to as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and it means that you consume a great deal more oxygen recovering from the exercise bout than you would have if you'd just done a steady-state workout.

This means that you will be burning up to nine times more fat while sitting on the couch later that night than you would have if you'd spent an hour on the treadmill at a moderate pace.

Obviously, I am talking about intense training. You will need to push yourself out of that comfort zone you have gotten used to and really challenge yourself. If you are willing to do this, however, I can guarantee that you will spend less than half the time you usually do on those machines and get much leaner in the process.

the benefits of hiit

HIIT training has a number of benefits in addition to the reduction in training time. First of all, this type of training is far superior to steady-state exercises when it comes to increasing your VO2 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen you can uptake during exercise. This means that you'll be in much better shape when it comes time to play a game of football with the guys.

Secondly, when you perform long-duration, moderate-intensity exercise, you can actually put yourself in a catabolic state in which you will start losing muscle mass. That's right: Some of that hard-earned muscle will start degrading itself in your quest to get lean.

The reason is that there are two types of muscle fibers in your body: fast twitch and slow twitch.

Slow twitch fibers are more compatible with endurance training (such as a steady-state one-hour run), whereas fast twitch fibers are more compatible with short, intense bouts of exercise (such as weightlifting or sprinting).

When we train in one of these modes, our muscle tissue has a tendency to take on the appropriate properties. As an illustration, imagine a marathon runner and a sprinter. The sprinter is composed of fast twitch muscles and carries a great deal more muscle mass, whereas the marathoner has a lot of thin, slow twitch muscle fibers so that his body is as light as possible to transport across those great distances.

This is going to the extreme to prove a point; however, you can see how much of a difference the type of training you do has on your body shape.

Check out these HIIT programs and find out how to integrate them into your regular training schedule Lastly, HIIT training, when combined with a slightly hypercaloric diet (above maintenance level), can actually be anabolic and help you to add muscle mass without adding very much body fat. This means that you can develop the muscle you want without having to bother with endless treadmill torture.

So now that I've convinced you that this is a better way, how do you go about doing it?

the specifics of hiit

There are a few different ways to do HIIT training.

You can either do all-out sprints -- during which you go above your VO2 max for a very short period of time -- coupled with adequate recovery periods or you can do sprints that are just below your VO2 max for a slightly longer period with an adequate recovery as well. The first option will really push your body and will elicit the greatest EPOC and VO2 max improvement. The second option will train your body to perform at a very high intensity for a slightly longer period of time while taking less time to recover.

For the first option, warm up at a comfortable intensity for 5 minutes. Then, give your maximum effort for 15 to 30 seconds, followed by a 2-minute recovery. You can walk during the recovery or you can just take it down to a very light jog, depending on your current level of fitness. More than likely, though, you will be going so hard that you will need to walk during the recovery. Perform between 6 and 10 of these intervals, and finish with a cooldown.

For the second option, do the same warm-up as in the first option, and then sprint at approximately 80% of your maximum intensity for 45 seconds to 1½ minutes. Follow this with a 1- to 2-minute recovery period. You may find that your recovery periods are shorter since you aren't running quite as intensely as in the first option. Repeat this sequence for 5 to 8 intervals, and follow it with a cooldown.

working hiit into your training

These types of workouts are very intense and should only be done 2 to 3 times a week. A great idea is to perform them on your "off" days from weightlifting; however, if you must do them on the same day, I strongly recommend performing them at a separate time so you can devote all your energy to each session.

As with your weight training, be sure to take in a post-workout drink (or quickly absorbed meal) to help replenish lost glycogen and repair the muscle tissues.

On a final note, I must enforce that this type of training is not for everyone. Since it is so high in intensity, many people find that they simply cannot work out at this level and end up bypassing their workout altogether. If this happens, you are much better off performing a more moderately paced endurance-type cardio workout.

However, try to challenge yourself with a few harder minutes interspersed throughout your workout. This will help increase your metabolism (although not as much as with HIIT), as well as your overall fitness level, which may help you to eventually include HIIT training as part of your workout.

maximize your workout

Whether you have just packed new muscle onto your frame or are trying to gain muscle tissue with minimal fat, HIIT training is your best option. Not only will you spend much less time on the cardio machines, but you will not risk putting yourself into a catabolic state associated with muscle tissue loss. You will also increase many of the anabolic hormones in your body that are associated with building muscle.

So next time you step on the treadmill, crank your cardio up a notch. Trust me, you won't be sorry!

Ok so This workout is amazing and it covers all of your fitness needs.  I love the Yoga, and the abs. Plus the strength training is just amazing and quick so I can mix and match.  Watch this video and message me any questions you might have. 

The Transformation

I was watching "What not To Wear" last night and I realized that the process that all the contestants go thru is what I went thru as I lost weight and changed myself.

The contestant that was chosen was a 30 year old female that had recently lost 40 pounds and was hiding behind her drab wardrobe.  She had very low self esteem and really had not come to grips with her new changed self.  It takes the mind a while to adjust to big changes in our lives and changing our appearance is one that seems to take longer than say a new haircut or color.  There are so many things that are effected in our lives weather we have gained or lost weight. When I had gained weight I remember realizing that articles of clothing would not fit and so I would go up a size.  That was something that I had a hard time with.  I remember going on trip with my husband to Disneyland and it was very uncomfortable to drive in the car and bounce around on the rides.  It was not until I looked at pictures of myself at Disneyland that I decided enough was enough.  It is at that point that the People that get nominated for "What Not to Wear" when the show begins.

When Stacy and Clinton ambush their newest fashion victim they are at their bottom and clearly need some assistance and at time a hard look at their self worth and how they got to be where they are. The Nominee is often a little in denial about their circumstance and will cling to things that feel safe and give them comfort.  Its at this point that they are told how they should be dressing and they are given rules that work specifically for them.  We all have different personalities and so there are many different ways to approach fitness and health for everyone. Then they get rid of the bad clothes.... this is always humorous to me because I can't really believe that someone would walk the street in some of these outfits.  But to compare scenarios we can all go thru our pantry's and fridges and get rid of the foods that would be toxic to our bodies.

Then there is the first shopping day.  This is where the participant trys stuff on that is normally all wrong and sometimes right for them and often times they have a nervous breakdown.  I think that its key and really relates to how we fell when we decide to change our lives and introduce more exercise and a more healthy diet.  Often times we go all out and are way to extreme and with time give up all together and go back to our ways.  With out instruction and some understanding we can get wrapped up in a quick fix and fall victim to those that are selling that to us everywhere.  There is NO quick fix.  If you lose a bunch of weight really fast your body will rebound with you gaining it all back and then some.  The only way to lose weight and get to be a happier you is to go about a lifestyle change, and it is pretty easy with the right support.

Now here comes the support portion. Stacy and Clinton meet with the shopper and help them realize any shortcomings they might feel they have from the day before on their own.  They go thru and pick out for that person key pieces that emphasis their strong body parts and mask the ones that they are not comfortable with.  They have that ah hah moment when that person can see that there is a reason for all their advice the day before and they build a new wardrobe and a new way of approaching their self worth.  The contestant realizes that they are worth a little time and money if its going to make them feel happy.  Plus they realize that they can spend a little money on something that they can wear over and over again. 

After they get their hair done and makeup they are all put together.  At that point they reflect on the journey that they have just gone thru and the ways that they are changed.  I often marvel at the fact that a persons confidence and attitude can change so much from taking some time for them and putting on some new clothes.

The reveal... this is the point when the friends and family wait for that person to arrive.  they walk in and wham there is cheering hugs and crying.  Its touching and very sweet to see all these people pulling for someone to change.  This is what I felt as I began to lose weight.  People would come up to me and tell me how great I looked.  People told me that they did not recognize me and that I was a totally different person.  People were asking me left and right what I had done they all wanted the same results. I could not hold back and I told my story of change to everyone. Several friends of mine began to do the same exercises and get results.  It was so much fun to see others change because I helped them.

This has been one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done in my life and I am excited to pass it on to others. If you need someone like Stacy and Clinton to help you find what you need I am your girl.  You can send me an e-mail @ debbie_a_linn@yahoo.com.

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