Do you think Fat is the enemy?

You might think that to lose weight, you need to cut the fat out of your meals. After all, fat is higher in calories than protein and carbs, and low-fat diets have been popular since the Senate Nutrition Committee first recommended them in the late 1970s. But research shows that a moderate-fat diet (with about 35 percent of calories consumed coming from fat) will help you drop pounds permanently, feel full longer, and avoid bingeing. The trick is to eat the right kind of fat to increase satisfaction and boost weight loss. Here's why it's important to eat fat—and we offer five of the best fat sources to add to your diet.

How eating fat will help you lose fat.

In 2008, researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel found that people who followed low-fat diets lost less weight than people who followed low-carb or moderate-fat diets. The low-fat group lost an average of 6.5 pounds over 2 years, but the low-carb and moderate-fat groups lost about 10 pounds. Women did especially well on the moderate-fat diet, losing an average of 13 pounds during the study.
Fat is an important element in weight loss for several reasons:

• Fat helps your body control blood sugar and insulin spikes after eating carbohydrates. Better sugar metabolism means less fat storage.
• Fat slows down digestion and aids nutrient absorption. You'll stay fuller longer and get more health benefits from the food you eat.
• Essential fatty acids (like omega-3s) may boost your metabolic rate and increase fat burning.
• Fat tastes good. It also provides a "mouthfeel" that is satisfying, which can help you be happy with less food.

Eating more fat may also help you stick to your diet longer. In a study conducted by Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, participants got either 20 percent of their calories from fat or 35 percent of their calories from fat. After 6 months, both groups had lost weight. But after 18 months, only 20 percent of the people in the low-fat group were still following the diet, compared with 54 percent of the people in the moderate-fat group. Likewise, the subjects in the moderate-fat group had maintained their weight loss, while the low-fat group participants had gained most of the weight back.
If you reach for a box of low-fat or fat-free crackers or cookies because you want to lose weight, you may actually be sabotaging your diet. Manufacturers frequently replace fat with sugar in packaged food items to make them taste better. You think you're making a good decision by eating fat-free products, but the excess sugar and refined flour can lead to fatigue, cravings, mood swings, and weight gain caused by the overproduction of insulin—the fat-storage hormone. As a snack, a sliced apple with some peanut butter or a salad with oil and vinegar dressing would be a better weight loss choice. The complex carbs and healthy fats will maintain your blood sugar levels, boost your energy, and keep you satisfied longer.
What kind of fat should you eat? To get lean, you need to eat the right kind of fat. Avoid saturated and trans fats (which are found in red meat, full-fat dairy products, and many packaged foods), and instead choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Here are some of the best sources of fat to help you reach your weight goal.

1. Fish. Fish like salmon, albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, and sardines contains beneficial amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Most experts agree that eating two servings of fatty fish per week is safe for people who are worried about mercury or other toxins. (Pregnant women should consult with their doctors about consuming fish.) If you don't like fish, a quality supplement like Beachbody's Core Omega-3™ will give you the benefits without the fishy taste.
2. Olive oil. Heart-healthy oils like olive, canola, and peanut oil are excellent sources of fat for dieters. They have also been shown to lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Use them sparingly when sautéing, or drizzle them over your favorite salad or vegetables with a little vinegar and some herbs to maximize the absorption of nutrients. Moderation is important: You really only need about a teaspoon of oil to get all its benefits. Using more will add significant calories.
3. Avocados. Eat a spinach and carrot salad with a little avocado, and you'll not only get a dose of good fat, but you'll also absorb more phytonutrients like lutein and beta-carotene. Scientists at Ohio State University in Columbus found that more antioxidants were absorbed when people ate a salad containing avocados than when they ate a salad without this tasty fruit. One-quarter of an avocado will add flavor while only adding about 75 calories.
4. Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts are powerhouses of good nutrition—full of antioxidants, minerals, and monounsaturated fat. The Nurses Health Study, where more than 86,000 nurses were followed for 14 years, found that those who ate nuts regularly (about an ounce per day) tended to weigh less than those who didn't. The protein, fat, and fiber make nuts more filling, which helps dieters stay on track. Plus there's a psychological bonus to eating nuts: Because they're rich and satisfying, you probably won't feel like you're on a diet.
5. Flaxseeds. Packing the triple wallop of fat, protein, and fiber, flaxseeds are a delicious and healthful addition to any diet. You can grind them up and add them to oatmeal, yogurt, salads, or vegetables, or pretty much anywhere you want a nutty crunch. They're a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, making them a good choice for vegetarians or the aforementioned non-fish-loving folks. Ground flaxseeds also have 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon, which helps slow digestion and keep your blood sugar stable.

Making room for fat.

Certain fats might be considered necessary for health, but that's not a cue to overindulge. At 9 calories per gram, fat is a more concentrated energy source than either protein or carbohydrates (each has 4 calories per gram). You need to be mindful of your overall caloric intake if you want to eat more fat and lose weight. But when you feel full and satisfied after eating the right kinds of fat, you'll probably find it a bit easier to manage your calories.

Do you skip Breakfast? Run through a Drive thru?

Breakfast. It seems like forever since Mom told us breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but one study shows it's actually true—she wasn't just nagging us. Breakfast is a key component of weight management: A study presented at the 90th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society showed that participants who consumed large breakfasts high in protein and carbohydrates followed by a low-carb, low calorie diet for the rest of the day lost almost five times as much weight as the participants who followed a low-carb, high-protein diet throughout the day. So what's the big deal about breakfast? And what is a big breakfast anyway? It doesn't seem like the lumberjack special at the local diner would do much to get the pounds off, so what should we be eating?



The study supported the idea that when we wake up in the morning, our bodies want food. You've burned through all the fuel from the previous day, and now your body's ready to burn anything—even muscle—to get a jump-start on the day. And if you skip breakfast, muscle is indeed what your body will burn. Later in the day, your brain is still in starvation mode from breakfast (or lack thereof), so your body will store all the calories you eat as adipose tissue, or fat, to save up for the next day when you try to starve it again. This study also found that levels of serotonin, the chemical responsible for controlling cravings, were much higher in the morning, which is why breakfast is the meal so many of us are willing to skip. But if our bodies are left unfed, our serotonin levels drop, and our bodies' craving for sweets begin to rise throughout the day.
But before you hit McDonald's for their 800-calorie Big Breakfast, or worse, their 1,150-calorie Deluxe Breakfast, or swing by Denny's for a 740-calorie Grand Slam or 950-calorie All-American Slam with hash browns, keep in mind, these weren't the breakfasts the study participants consumed. The big-breakfast group had a 610-calorie breakfast as part of a 1,240-calorie day. Breakfasts included milk, lean meat, cheese, whole grains, a serving of healthy fat, and one ounce of chocolate or candy to defray the craving for sweets. The other group's participants consumed 1,085 calories per day as part of a high-protein, low-carb diet; only 290 of their daily calories were consumed at breakfast. Both groups were on their respective diets for eight months. The high-protein group lost an average of nine pounds, but the big-breakfast group lost an average of 40 pounds. And, perhaps not surprisingly, the big-breakfast group complained less about cravings and hunger.
The big-breakfast group's breakfast consisted of 58 grams of carbs, 47 grams of protein, and 22 grams of fat. Study reviewers attribute some of the success of the big-breakfast group to the fact that the protein and healthy fats eaten kept the participants full and reduced cravings. They also said that nutritional requirements were well met and that there weren't empty calories consumed, because the breakfasts included lots of whole grains, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy unsaturated fats. So bad news for the lumberjack-special devotees—a big plate of greasy hash browns, bacon, and biscuits with gravy isn't going to get the job done, unless the job we're discussing is clogging your arteries.
Here are some healthy big breakfasts, similar to the ones consumed by the study's participants.

Chicken and the Egg

2 large eggs, scrambled
2 slices whole wheat toast
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled
1 grapefruit

589 calories, 52 grams carbohydrates, 48 grams protein, 19 grams fat, 5.5 grams saturated fat, 12 grams fiber.

Oats 'n' Berries Breakfast

1 packet plain instant oatmeal, prepared, with 1 scoop Beachbody^® Whey Protein Powder
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 oz. roasted turkey breast
1 large hard-boiled egg
1 oz. dark chocolate

631 calories, 62 grams carbohydrates, 47 grams protein, 21 grams fat. 8 grams saturated fat, 10 grams fiber.

Two Egg Sandwiches

2 whole wheat English muffins, toasted
2 large poached eggs
2 slices low-fat Swiss cheese
2 slices Canadian bacon, grilled

597 calories, 57 grams carbohydrates, 45 grams protein, 13 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 8 grams fiber.

Vegetarian Breakfast

1 cup cottage cheese (2% milk fat)
1 cup sliced peaches, canned in juice, not syrup
1 slice whole wheat toast
1/2 avocado
2 vegetarian sausage links, cooked

621 calories, 62.5 grams carbohydrates, 47 grams protein, 26.5 grams fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat, 16.5 grams fiber.

Pescetarian Breakfast

1 6-oz. can light tuna, canned in water, drained
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (preferably olive oil- or canola oil-based)
2 slices whole wheat toast
1 oz. dark chocolate

592 calories, 45 grams carbohydrates, 51 grams protein, 22 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 10 grams fiber.

Motivation, do you have it? Do you need it?

We are quickly approaching the end of 2010, which brings up thoughts of New Year Resolutions.  Are you going to make serious changes this year?  If so, what motivates you?  If you thought you couldn’t fail, what would you do?  If you had someone beside you every step of the way, would you be successful? 

Very important questions.  I have asked and been asked these questions at different times in my life and strangely enough, I’ve had different answers every time.  Why?  Because each time I was asked these questions I was at a different place in my life.  The first time I was asked about my motivation, I could pinpoint a person that was my inspiration and my motivation.  I pushed myself to succeed because I thought I had to measure up in some way to another person’s ideal.  I now realize it is my responsibility  if I succeed or if I fail.  I need to own my life decisions. This takes a serious mind shift.

Jim Rohn's quote immediately came to mind while I was typing this.

 “The best motivation is self-motivation. The guy says, 'I wish someone would come by and turn me on.' What if they don't show up? You've got to have a better plan for your life.”

 If you continue to depend on an outside source to push you, to motivate you, success might come your way. However, if that source didn’t show up one day, what would you do?  Could you continue to succeed?  Or would you fail because you didn’t have it in yourself to push you to the next level?  It boils down to how bad YOU want it.  I have to revisit my reason for succeeding every day.  Sometimes I listen to myself and other times I don’t.

Where are you in your life right now?  I’m taking a very hard look at myself right now and realizing the person I have failed is myself.  I want to be transparent with you.  I do not have it all figured out, I just keep putting one foot in front of the other metaphorically speaking.  I have, at times, become lackadaisical in my daily workout regime and my eats could always be much better.  I am a sugar addict.  Whenever I feel stressed, I immediately reach for sugar. I own that, don’t like it, but it is my methodology.  I know now because of these many months of P90X that my body becomes stressed because I haven’t been doing the things I need to do to take care of myself.  I choose food that doesn't support my body,  I choose to skip a workout, I forget to work on my personal development, etc.  This is a vicious cycle that I don’t want to continue.  I need to step it up and focus! 

Here I go...moving forward with a renewed sense of commitment. Care to join me?  Is it your time right now?  Do you have a plan for your life?  If you don't, let me know, perhaps we can work on it together.  Dream BIG my friends, how else will you know how beautiful and satisfying 2011 will be!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year :)

It's Go Time!!

This marked the first week of the new school year, and while I wasn’t truly looking forward to school I’m glad it is here.  Glad because it has forced me to look at where I am at this moment.  I have discovered something that doesn’t make me entirely happy.

I was comfortable over the summer.  I relaxed, enjoyed my family time, focused on our Beachbody business, and life was good.  Good in a VERY relaxed, lackadaisical sort of way.   Now in retrospect I should have approached my summer a bit differently.  Instead of seeing it as strictly a “vacation” I should have seen it as an “off season”. 

When professional athletes are not competing they don’t just stop whatever they are doing and begin eating Krispy Kremes for every meal.  They continue their conditioning and their nutrition so that when game time arrives or training camp begins they are in shape so that they can perform to their highest level.  Why wasn’t I in that same mindset?  Can you tell I’m in football mode now? LOL.

 Anyway, I’m not saying that I’m an athlete by any stretch of the imagination, but I do want my body to continue to function at the level that I have  grown to like.  It didn’t get that way by eating a bag of coconut M&M’s everyday or just going through the motions of my workouts.  I did it by committing to myself...committing to changing my habits to include regular strenuous exercise (P90X) and healthy nutrition.  That is exactly what I am doing again. I just finished a 3 day Shakeology jumpstart, losing 7 lbs and most of my cravings.  I am following my schedule, I’m tracking my food intake, and I’m being disciplined in every aspect of my Beachbody experience..whether that be coaching, training, or in my daily accountability.  Please join me in this quest to be consistent and healthy not just for myself but also for my entire family.  That is the reason we started and that is the reason I continue.

How do you react?

Say the right words, Read the right books, Listen to the right tapes, Be with the right people, Do the right things, Pray the right prayer.  We all worry that we aren’t enough or aren’t doing enough to be successful.  What do you do to tip the balance in your favor?  Do you keep moving forward or allow life to stop you in your tracks?

Struggles..they are what defines us.  When faced with something that seems insurmountable, how do you respond?  I don’t know about you, but I never plan out how I react to situations, it just seems to happen.  Like the other day for instance. I was being very specific in what I needed to accomplish, highly motivated to take on the mountain of to do’s I had written down.  The boys were going to be off getting some awesome “boy time” outside playing baseball so I had the house to myself.  I was excited because my house was quiet and I just knew I would be very productive!

 I accidentally knocked my insulated coffee mug off of my desk with the lid open and it began to spill on my hardwood floors.  I bent down so I could pick it up, accidentally knocked it under my wheelchair as I am parked at my desk.  I couldn’t get up unless I moved my wheelchair from the desk so I had to roll backwards and thus dragging my coffee cup with me spilling coffee all the while.  I did not react well.  I was angry at the weakness being shown in myself.  I ranted and raved, talking very disparaging about my MS I must admit.  I did finally calm down and became the rational person I am usually.

I managed to set the cup upright but not before I had coffee all over my floor.  I couldn’t use my wheelchair to get rags because it would have had to roll through the spill, so I had to walk.  If you have ever seen me walk it is a slow process, considering I wasn’t even able to stand until I started P90X and Shakeology this is a huge step for me..literally!  I didn’t have a cane, walker, or even an able bodied person to help me so I had to use walls to keep me balanced and upright.  I did it..admittedly it wasn’t pretty but I succeeded in doing something incredibly basic and it was a triumph for me.  You see until Dan and I changed our lives if I had to do something like that it would have been impossible.  In fact, I remember one time falling and having to army crawl somewhere just 10 feet away and it taking 30 minutes.  This little speed bum took me less than 10 minutes to clean up.  I felt incredibly victorious!

I share this with you because I wanted you to see that struggles come in all shapes and sizes.  Some struggles are HUGE and life threatening, but struggles also come in little things like spilled coffee.  You will continually face things in life that will either set you back or will strengthen you.  I spent several years letting little and big struggles beat me down.  I refuse to do that anymore!  I am in control of my life and how I respond to the things going on around me are a direct reflection of that mindset.  I encourage you to be in control of your current struggles, whatever they might be.  It all begins with you!

How is your workouts going?

Are you committed to a workout program?  Any workout program..it doesn't have to be P90X!

One of my all time favorite blogs to follow is Steve Edwards ( http://steve-edwards.blogspot.com )  He never ceases to enlighten and encourage me when it comes to how my body works.   In this post he is specifically talking about Beachbody programs.  I love that he is simply telling people that it doesn’t matter which program from Beachbody you choose, they all work. 

I laugh because before I had to deal with the issue of my MS I was a very active person..I did aerobics, I walked, I jogged, I played sports, etc. and I have to admit I was a bit of a fitness snob!  I was convinced that the exercise I chose at the time I was doing it was the ONLY thing that would work.  Steve does an excellent job of mentioning that each program is tailored to a person’s interests  and likes. 

All of the programs work...I have seen that in my little circle!  The difference with these programs versus the workouts I used to do, is that we at Beachbody have thought of everything to help you succeed.  The exercise programs are top notch, our nutritionals ( ahem..Shakeology!) are world class, and we have a tremendous online community to support you the entire time!  Between Dan, myself,my inlaws, my sister, and our friends, we have used over 9 different programs and we have all lost weight and gained energy!  Over 250 lbs in the last year!  So don’t get hung up on doing a specific program because your friend is doing it, pick one that interests you.  Commit to the nutrition plan and the schedule that comes with the program and you will see success!  Besides, you will have an entire network of Beachbody friends like Dan and myself to help you every step of the way!  You are the next transformation winner, I can feel it! :)

New Workout Programs from Beachbody!

Beachbody isn't just about P90X and Tony Horton..we have more!  I wanted to talk about two wonderful workout programs from Beachbody coming out soon.  The end of May, Body Gospel will be making it's debut and Beachbody is pulling out all the stops.  A worldclass workout filmed in front of a full choir and Donna Richardson Joyner leading real people to work out . This will also have the standard nutrition guide as well as a daily devotional to help you stay motivated and on track with your nutrition. 

The second is TURBO FIRE!  This is the next in line following Turbo Jam and it is fantastic!  I had the privilege of working out to this at Summit with Chalene Johnson and it was amazing!  This workout is High Intensity Interval Training and is designed to burn more fat than strict cardio based programs.  I posted a preview at the bottom of this page so you will have to check it out.  This will be something you have to try to believe!

Hope you all have a great day! :)