Size 4... and they are LOOSE!

OH MY GOSH! It is a HAPPY happy day in my house when an item of clothing is too big for me.

WHY?!

2 reasons! 1) I get to go shopping! & 2) I'M LOSING WEIGHT!

My goal has never been to weigh a certain number, but it has ALWAYS been to fit into a size 2 (grade 7 doesn't count)

So, yesterday when I tried on an old yet beloved pair of jeans, I was SHOCKED that they were LOOSE! In the thighs, the waist, and even the calves (lol, really?). I knew I was making progress with InsanityMax:30 but I didn't really realize just HOW MUCH this program was changing my body!!

A month ago these jeans gave me muffin top... maaaaajorrrr muffin top. You're probably wondering like... "Why?" Because in all honesty, I used to be a size 6. And I would sometimes be able to cram myself into a size 4. So I would buy the 4 because it felt better than buying a 6 (we've ALL done that, right?).

So basically, what I'm saying is... These pants... that used to be a size TOO SMALL... are now almost TOO BIG!! They look pretty cute already right now, in a "baggy, boyfriend jean" kinda way. 

But ME?! Too small for a size 4?!? SOMEONE - STOP THE MADNESS! Okay but really. SIZE 2 I'M COMING FOR YOU!!!

Day 14 - TurboFire & Burn Circuit 1

    Hey loves! Let me just take a second here to say I LOOOOVEEEE working out at home! Not that I don't like gyms or the people in them - but working out at home is just SO my jam. Theres no traffic to get there, I get to wear whatever works for me even if it's not cute or appropriate (lol), and I just get to follow along to my TV. I mean seriously, I'm working out with the BEST of the BEST trainers, and right beside my bed! Muahahaha. just kidding ;) Not to mention, I'm CLUELESS in a gym haha.

    Today is Day 14, and on my schedule is HIIT 15, and Sculpt 30! I decided to do a Chalean Extreme workout instead because I wanted a change-up. The Chalean Extreme workout I chose was Burn Circuit 1. Just a quick, 30 minute workout but let me tell ya! My legs are already killing me and I don;t even want to know how I feel going down the stairs tomorrow, eek! Oh well! I'm all about that bass ;)

How To Keep The FUN In Fitness

    Working out doesn't have to be boring, if you're doing a Beachbody workout I know you're not bored BUT on the chance that you're a gym rat and tired of the same old cardio machines and dumbbells at the gym - STOP! Try something new. I'm a HUGE fan of workout DVD's since they're always fun, energetic, and your typically doing it with others (in the TV but HEY who's checking where my friends are from).

    You need to change up your routine so that you stay motivated and most of all, amped up! Pre-workouts are effective but you don't want to rely on them in order to feel energy throughout our workout. If you feel like you NEED a PWO, then you might be doing 1) The wrong workout or 2) not eating the right foods.

    Well, to target #1 (since #2 is an entire post in itself) here are some tips to keeping the FUN in fitness!

Try some sports! 

    I have to say, after I quit playing soccer in High School I stopped considering myself an "athletic girl" even though I still cared about fitness. Well, last weekend my boyfriend and I bought 2 badminton rackets and birdies from the dollar store (YES, they really were a dollar!) we've been playing EVERY. DAY. OMG, who knew how fun badminton was?! (we're even thinking about joining some type of couples team if we can find one)

    Playing badminton at the park (we go so we can throw the ball for my pup, Charlie) has become my addiction. And it's SUCH a good way to get my heart rate up aside from my daily workouts. I know badminton isn't enough to get a serious weightless transformation at the level we're playing at, but seriously - everything counts over the long run.

    If badminton's not your thing, try another sport! Tennis, basketball, soccer, there are so many! Grab a friend, your man, anyone who might want to play and just go for it! You guys will probably have WAY more fun than you're anticipating and you'll be going back for more fun (and burned calories) ASAP. 

    Besides just field sports, if you live near the beach you can go paddle boarding, surfing if you know how - and if you don't, take lessons! What better time?! Unless you're afraid of sharks, which I am... so I'll stick to paddle boarding since there's less time in the water for that one LOL. 

    Have you tried a kickboxing class? A dance class? Yoga? I get my kickboxing and dance fix in with TurboFire (my soulmate workout ♥) and yoga from the 21 Day Fix + P90X. Try taking a class that's near you! A cycling class, Zumba, or go for a run with your pet! 

    Basically, the key to keeping the FUN in FITNESS, is to try new things and to MAKE it fun. The truth is, going to the gym and doing elliptical for 30 minutes just is NOT fun for me, so thats why I do my beachbody workouts. Try them! My friend Laura ordered Brazil Butt Lift last week and said to me "These are hard, but honestly - I'm having SO MUCH FUN!" Make fitness fun and you won't feel like it's draining you, instead you'll feel like it's truly energizing you!

I hope you liked some of the ideas here, try something new this week and let me know how you liked it! Talk soon!

How To Feel Better After A Binge

We've all been there... Dieting can be hard. I know the feeling of eating clean all day and being "on track" with my foods then all of a sudden, the sun has gone down (my stomach isn't even growling) yet for some reason my mind is screaming "EAT! EAT NOW! WHERE'S THE YUMMY FOOD?" and boom - I give in. Before you know it, the leftovers are gone, I've eaten 3 pieces of bread with butter on it, ate just about everything unhealthy I could find, and now - I feel AWFUL. Like more than awful, the feeling of heartbreak, disgust, regret, and pain. If you've ever binged multiple times on a diet, you know this feeling - and it SUCKS! Well I'm here to say, it's gonna be OK. Take a deep breath... and keep reading.

Step 1. 
Accept it.
The first thing you need to do is accept what happened. It's already in the past and you can't go back. Take a few more deep breaths and just tell yourself "it's over." PHEW! 

Step 2.
Have a glass of water.
Seriously, have a glass of water. Stress burns up water inside the body and we need to replenish it so that we can calm down. Drink it slowly or quickly, which ever you prefer, just make sure you drink it!

Step 3.
Remind yourself that it's OK.
The truth is, if you're dieting and restricting your calories it can be beneficial to give yourself a major calorie-stuffed meal to rev up your metabolism! It's OK that this just happened. Take some time to imagine your body going into "buzz mode" because you just gave it BIG TIME food to burn off. Have you heard of "cheat meals"? These were made popular by bodybuilders and fitness competitors because they eat very strict but usually have 1 "cheat meal" per week. I don't know how each individual competitor chooses to eat but from what I've heard these cheat meals can be pretty outlandish. Well, think of your binge as a cheat meal. Bodybuilders do this intentionally so that they  rev up their metabolism to move past any "plateaus" in their weightless. This is not to say you should be binging frequently but when it happens, think of it as an intentional cheat meal.

Step 4.
Get moving!
Do 50 squats, maybe some planks, or even a walk around the block! Whatever you can do to get moving is going to help get the food going through your system so that it can flush out ASAP.  I KNOW you don't want to wake up with this reminder and bloated stomach tomorrow morning, so make some moves! Nothing too intense since you're full of food, but just enough to get your blood pumping a bit. 

Step 5.
Forgive yourself. 
I know the heartache and pain that binges bring. Remember - you're human. Things aren't going to be perfect right away. It's going to take some trial and error, some accomplishments and setbacks, some ups and downs, but if you keep going you WILL reach your goal. Just forgive yourself. You're an incredible human being with thoughts, emotions, feelings, dreams, and more determination inside of you than you even know. Forgive yourself. Say this out loud right now "I forgive myself and I am worthy of loving myself despite my shortcomings. I am perfectly imperfect and will reach my goals no matter what."

How to Stop At Just 1 Cookie

Hi loves! Cookies... where do I even begin with these?! To say I still struggle with this would be an understatement LOL but a couple days ago I found an article on how to enjoy the foods you love in moderation, which I know is nothing NEW, but it gave me a lightbulb idea. What if mentally we only wanted 1 cookie? What if we genuinely had an easy time eating 1 cookie, then having some water and could move on with our day feeling oh-so-good about that delicious cookie! BRILLIANT! Right? But how to get there...?

As I've spend more time learning about foods and what we need to feel properly hydrated, fuelled, nourished etc I've realized the ACTUAL amount of carbs/fat/protein everyone needs in a day.

I used to SWEAR by low carbs. I never had any results by it, but I was deeply conditioned to think that carbs were bad and therefore should be avoided like the plague! #woops! I was seriously wrong. The average sized woman needs approximately 140 grams of carbs a day depending on muscle vs fat & goals etc but in GENERAL thats the average number. If you were properly fuelling yourself and providing your body with the amount of carbs/protein/fat it needed in a day do you think you would be more inclined to eat 1 cookie and be done?

YES!

2 out of 10 people trying to diet and "eat clean" don't eat enough carbs and protein which means there's a MAJOR gap in their nutrition. As I evaluated my own macros (carbs/protein/fat) the last few days, I realized prior to this I was eating about 70g of carbs per day and 60g of protein, when those numbers should be DOUBLED in order to meet my macro's. WHAT?! I was missing half of my nutrients! Avoiding carbs was doing me more harm then good.

Since upping my carbs and protein the last couple days I've been feeling so much more energized and less grumpy. Also, when my boyfriend ordered pizza friday night I had 2 pieces and called it a day. Normally I eat 4 pieces... yes you read that correctly - I used to split a large pizza with my boyfriend. #embarassingggggg haha.

I hope this post is clear but sometimes my words get all jumbled so to SUMMARIZE:

PLEASE check the amount of foods your eating each day. If you're trying to diet you're probably low in carbs and protein. When you start ensuring you get enough carbs into your day, you'll see you have plenty of room for the cookie and that you don't need to feel bad! 

Carb's to start incorporating in your diet

• Oatmeal
• Potatoes
• Sweet Poatoes
• Yam's
• Whole Grain Bread
• Pasta. Yes pasta! Don't avoid it. 

Repeat after me: "I am allowed to eat a cookie. I am allowed to eat a cookie. I am allowed to eat a cookie." Don't feel guilty! It's about balance. You can fit that cookie into your day, and you can fit pizza into your dinner this weekend. 

Never keep cookies off limits and you'll find you don't feel the urgency to have them right NOW. Last but not least, make sure it's a GOOD one! What's the point in eating a stale boring cookie? ;)

Top 10 Ab Workouts For A Sexy Core

Get into the pushup position. Now bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest your weight on your forearms. Your elbows should be directly beneath your shoulders, and your body should form a straight line from your head to your feet. Aim for 1-2 minutes. Your first time will probably be around 30 seconds, don't put any pressure on yourself to last longer than that in the beginning!

How to improve your plank time:
The longer you can hold the plank, the more resilient your lower back will be to injury, and the better your abs will look.

Practice: Do planks a few times a day, and try to hold the position a little longer each time!

Use body-weight exercises: Push ups will improve your plank time (and abs!)

Hold it!
If you don't have the core strength yet to do a regular plank you can build up to it by doing the "bent knee" plank. Once you've conquered the plank and can last for 2+ minutes you can move on to these
tougher variations!

1. Lift one leg up. By raising one let in the air you'll increase the demand on your core to fight your body's natural udder to rotate.
2. Lift one arm up. Yep, same thing here! Your body will want to fall to one side. Don't let it! Stay strong girl.
3. Use a swiss ball. Rest your forearms on the ball and you'll have to stabilize your body and stop the ball from rolling out under you.

Lie face up on your mat and place your hands behind you head, supporting it with your fingers. Bring your knees in to the chest and life the shoulder bladed off the floor without pulling on the neck. Rotate to the left, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee as your straighten the other leg. Switch sides, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee. Continue alternating sides in a pedaling motion.

How to improve your bicycle: Keep your lower back on the floor at all times to keep tension in your core

Practice: Do this everyday, 1-3 sets of 15 reps

Hold it! Go slow until you build the strength to move to an upbeat pace and exhale as your "pedal" changes with each leg

Lie on the floor and extend your legs straight up with your knees crossed. Place your hands behind the head for support, but avoid pulling on your neck. Contract the abs to lift your shoulder blades off the floor, as thought you're reaching your chest towards your feet. Keep your legs in a fixed position and "crunch." Lower and repeat!

How to improve your leg crunch: Focus on keeping your legs still and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.

Practice: Do this with your ab routine, 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps

Hold it! Make sure you don't strain your neck, mentally remind yourself to relax your neck muscles and  focus on lifting with your abs and not with your neck.

Lie on a mat facing up and extend your arms straight out behind your head with hands clasped, and keep your arms next to your ears. Contract your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining your neck! Lift all the way up until you've done a proper "crunch." Lower and repeat! 

How to improve: If you feel neck pain, put one hand behind your head while keeping your other arm extended.

Practice: Repeat for 3 sets of 15 reps

Hold it! Once you're able to do 3 sets without taking breaks, challenge yourself by holding a dumbbell to add intensity.

Lie on the floor and place your hands on the floor of behind your head. Bring your knees in towards your chest until they're bent to 90degrees, with your feet together OR crossed :). Contract the abs to curl the hips up off the floor, reaching the legs up towards the ceiling. 

How to improve: It's a very small movement, so try to use your abs to life your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum. 

Practice: Repeat for 2-3 sets of 20 reps

Hold it! You'll feel this in the lower abs, and because thats primarily the muscle that you're working, this is a small and subtle move. You only need to lift your hips a few inches off the floor. Once you've mastered this move try this variation to make the reverse crunch harder!

1. Add ankle weights to challenge your balance 

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands gently cradling your head. Keep your feet on the flow. Now flex your feet and keep them flexed as you contract your abs, lifting the shoulder blades off the floor. Try not to pull on your neck with your hands, but lightly support your head. At the top of your crunch, press your heels down into the floor while keeping your lower back in contact with the floor. 

How to improve: Focus on lifting from your chest and not your neck. This will help you avoid injury!

Practice: Repeat for 3 sets of 15 reps

Hold it! This heel push crunch looks like a regular crunch, but in this version you'll be engaging the rectus abdominis muscles more. When you're ready for a challenge you can put a weight-plate on your chest so work your abs even more.

Sit on a ball or chair and hold a medium weight. Begin the movement with the weight at chest level, and keep your shoulders relaxed. Keeping your hips and knees facing forward, rotate the torso to the right as far as you comfortably can. Focus on squeezing the muscles around your waist. Rotate back to centre and then to the left, keeping the movement slow and controlled.

How to improve: Make sure you do this slowly so that your body is working form your core and not from momentum. 

Practice: Repeat for 2 sets of 20 reps

Hold it! This workout really challenges your obliques, if you're new to oblique work take it easy on yourself the first couple times you do this. When you're ready to make it more difficult, up your weight that you hold. This will also work your shoulders and arms!

Lie down on your right side, resting your forearm. Your legs should be straight with your hips stacked. Press into your forearm to lift the hips off the mat. 

How to improve: If you can't rest on your forearm yet, you can start by resting/pressing into your hand. This is still a challenge but will be easier than if you were using your forearm. 

Practice: Do this for 30-120 seconds repeating 2-3 times on each side

Hold it! Hold your body in a straight line, and rest your free arms behind your head to give you extra balance. When you're ready to make this harder you can choose from the foot variations below!

1. Harder: Feet stacked

2. Easier: Feet staggered

3. Easiest: Knees down

Being in the plank position, on your hands and toes. Make sure your hips are down and the back is flat while bracing your abs. Life your left leg, bend your knee and bring it in towards your left elbow without moving the rest of your body. Take your left leg back and then bring your right knee in towards the right elbow, making sure you keep the rest of your body in the same position. 

How to improve: This one sounds easier than it really is. In the beginning, it's normal to shake and wobble, but focus on keeping still and eventually you'll get stronger.

Practice: Do this for 30-60 seconds and repeat 3 times. 

With your exercise ball, start in a plank position with your feet resting on the ball (looks like an elevated push-up.) Roll the ball towards you with your feet, tightening the abs into a crunch. 

How to improve: You can rest your shins/ankles on the ball in the beginning until you're ready to roll from your feet. 

Practice: Do this for 3 sets of 15 reps

The Best Foods to Eat Before & After Your Workout

When you're on a mission to lose belly fat, tone the thighs, and slim those triceps, nutrition is HALF the battle! Working out is so important, but if you're not fuelling your body properly your efforts will not be maximized. To make the most out of your workouts, pre and post foods are SO key!


Pre-Workout 
While it's true that working out on an empty stomach will help you burn fat stores during your workout, that doesnt automatically translate into a reduction of body fat. When you're burning fat during exercise you're working out at a lower intensity and burning fewer calories. SO, eating a pre workout meal or snack will gee you energy, stamina, and help blast your fat stores and build muscle!

Options
1. Eat a nutritionally balanced meal 1-2 hours before training
        (If you want to burn 600 calories, aim for a 300 calorie meal)
   - Hearty Salad
   - Lettuce Wraps
   - Smoothie
   - Veggie Omelet
   - Banana and Chia Seed Custard

OR

2. Eat a snack 60-90 minutes before training 
       (Aim for 100-200 calories and a combination of lean protein and slow acting carbs)
   - Fruit & Yogurt
   - Protein Shake
   - Peanut Butter and Apple
   - Fruit & Cottage Cheese
   - Banana & Almonds



Post-Workout 
It's so important to refuel and recover with meals that combine the right balance of protein and carbohydrates post workout. For best results, eat within 30-60 minutes after exercise muscles are most receptive. This ensures that the body has the fuel it needs to recover, adapt, and improve.

Options
1. Snack immediately following a workout
   - Protein Shake
   - Kefir
   - Banana
   - Dried Fruits & Nuts

OR

2. Meal immediately following a workout
   - Quinoa & Salmon
   - Black Bean & Rice Soup
   - Tofu Stir Fry & Brown Rice
   - Sweet Potato & Chicken

Don't forget to hydrate before, during (small sips), and after!

The 3 Day Diet

Am I the last girl on earth to hear about the 3 day/military diet? Perhaps. In case if you haven't, it's a 3 day meal plan that supposedly can help you lose 5-10lbs in the first 3 days. Most of the time, claims like that, when true, are simply water weight. While thats perfectly fine, I checked out the meal plan and it actually looked pretty legit! Basically, it's a healthy meal plan (minus the ice cream, but I'm also a firm believer in moderation with 80% healthy & 20% treat.)

The diet is low in calories (around 1000-1200 per day), and I haven't tried it yet. When I do I'll definitely be adding in my shakeology to make sure I get my daily nutrient requirements.

Day 1
Breakfast: 1/2 Grapefruit, 1 slice of toast, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and coffee or tea
Lunch: 1/2 cup of tuna, 1 slice of toast, and 1 cup of tea
Dinner: 3 oz of any meat or protein, 1 cup of green beans, 1/2 banana, 1 small apple, and 1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Tips:

• Warm the apple and/or banana and eat them over the ice-cream (YUM!)
• Cook the green beans with the meat and simmer them in the broth

Day 2
Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 slice of toast, and 1/2 banana
Lunch: 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 hard boiled egg, and 5 saltine crackers (lol)
Dinner: 2 hot dogs (no buns), 1 cup of broccoli, 1/2 cup of carrots, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream

Day 3
Breakfast: 5 saltine crackers, 1 slice of cheddar cheese, and 1 small apple
Lunch: 1 hard boiled egg, and 1 slice of toast
Dinner: 1 cup of tuna, 1/2 a banana, and 1 cup of vanilla ice cream

This meal plan is meant to be temporary, NOT a permanent diet since the calories are low! Try doing this on a Tuesday-Thursday to give yourself a boost for the weekend, similar to the 5 day Inferno Plan from TurboFire. You could do 3 days of this eating, then 4 days of regular eating. But don't overdue it on your "off" days, keep your foods clean & exercise!

What do you think? Have you tried the military diet before?

5 Reasons You Need More Water

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Review of the 8 Hour Ab Diet

You've probably never heard of the 8 hour ab diet, and thats totally normal. I stumbled across this way of eating while listening to a Chalean Johnson podcast a few weeks ago. It was kind of unexpected since her chats are usually about life, productivity, business etc and rarely are about dieting and foods. Anyways! This podcast featured Melissa McAllister, the girl behind this thing. She didn't invent this way of eating, but she did live this way her whole life.. kind of by a happy accident! For years people had been asking her, how do you stay so fit? Why do you have so much energy? How are your abs back SO quickly after having your baby? After awhile she realized she only eats for 8 hours a day, from 11am-7pm. 

Hm. That seems alright, right? I thought so too! Then I was like waaaaait, I wake up pretty early and I like to hop out of bed and go DIRECTLY into the kitchen. (Breakfast is your favourite meal of the day too, right?) But as I listened further into the podcast I started to realize, you know this thing actually makes a lot of sense. There are some theories for healthy eating that putting your body into starvation mode is a huge NO-NO! But if you think about it, whenever you go to sleep you're putting your body into SM on it's own! Most people do NOT wake up in the middle of the night to re-feed themselves.

I started to think, "Hey I can totally do this! I might do more of a 10-6 since I don't know if I can wait that long for breakfast..." after convincing myself that I should at least try it I decided to go for it last thursday (September 4th). Since doing it I haven't lost any weight yet (I mean it's only been 8 days people) but I can honestly say I feel energized! Something feels like it's working better in my body. The first couple days I had a hard time pushing my breakfast back and not eating my late-night snacks, but once I got into it it was easy! 

Important Note: You are not eating LESS, you are just pushing the food you eat throughout the day into a shorter time span. Same food, meals closer together. You got me?

I'm excited to see how this will affect me after I've been doing it for a month, then 6 months etc. 

PS. You're probably curious to see Melissa McAllister and her experience with this... ta da! The girl who unknowingly followed this her whole life and CLEARLY saw results:

The girl is RIPPED! I'm not sure how old she is but I do know that she has kids who are graduated from college already. Um, WOWEE! Want to try it? 

Start with downloading an app like myfitnesspal. 

You need to make sure you're eating enough food during your 8 hours so it's best to track it with a calorie counter. I love this app! You can even add me if you want and we can count calories together! hehe. 

Once you download an app, start pushing your breakfast back by a couple hours. My tip: Eat a big breakfast! You'll be hungry from pushing it back so don't try to skimp out. Make it a hearty! 

Once you've gotten comfortable with eating a bit later, implement your cut off time for dinner. If you follow Melissa's time frame, stop eating at 7pm. If you follow mine, stop at 6pm. I'm gonna try moving my schedule back later like Melissa's but for now 10am-6pm works well since I got to bed pretty early (9pm.)

Don't hold back. This could be the style of eating your body has been CRAVING and NEEDING for optimum efficiency! Let me know how the 8 Hour Ab Diet goes for you, are you going to try it?

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Workout

Do you want to make your workout more effective? DUH! Who doesn't! While there are tons of resources and workouts available online, here are some ways to ensure your body is a fat burning, calorie scorching, FURNACE during your workout!

1. Have a small snack 20 minutes before you start
An energy boost and essential so you don't pass out!

2. Drink water THROUGHOUT the day
Drinking it before and after is not enough. You need to be properly hydrating throughout the day since your body takes a couple hours to absorb H2O into the blood stream.

3. Warm up for 10 minutes
This should be gentle stretching and something to get the blood flowing. If your body isn't warmed up when you start your workout it'll spend the first 10-15 minutes "warming itself up" instead of burning your fat stores. What?! I know. So please, warm yourself up!

4. Multitask your muscles
Deadlifts and squats use multiple muscle groups at once making your time "a la sweat" TWICE as effective. You'll get a nice boost in your metabolism and heart rate (which doubles as your cardio) WIN!!

5. Focus on the workout
As temping as it is to send emails, texts, check facebook etc during your workout, you lose out on difficulty when your distracted. When you're working a certain muscle - FOCUS on that muscle group and imagine it being the HARDEST lift ever. More focus = more toned.

6. 8 hours of sleep
Getting enough sleep is hard for most North Americans but if you're trying to lose weight then you NEED to prioritize your beauty sleep! (It'll be a win-win when you notice your dark circles are gone too.) If a body is working out without enough rest it'll HOLD onto your fat stores which we all know is a fitness dolls NIGHTMARE!

Working out just isn't enough. We need to be smart with our time and intentions! Getting a slim and sexy stomach takes some tweaking and commitment. Try these tips out and let me know if you feel the energy boost and notice a difference! What tips and trick have you tried that work for you? 

What is a HIIT Workout?

If you're apart of the fitness community at all, chances are you've heard of HIIT workouts. HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT workouts are short, effective, and incredibly different. Most workouts are 45-60 minutes. But the average HIIT workout is only 15-30. Much shorter, which means... YAY more time to spend getting ready or taking your dog on a walk ;)

In case if you don't know what a HIIT workout actually is, it's short bursts of intense energy & giving it EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, followed by a short rest period. This is repeated multiple times, and the possibilities are endless! 

Why is a HIIT workout one of the BEST things you can do for your fitness? 

It's been proven that HIIT gets and keeps your heart rate up so that you burn calories at an accelerated rate ALL DAY. HI!! Yes please!! A high intensity workout increases the body's need for oxygen during the workout and creates an "oxygen shortage," causing your body to ask for MORE oxygen during recovery! This after burn effect is commonly referred to as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption also known as - EPOC. EPOC is the reason why intense exercise burns more fat and calories than regular cardio. Your metabolism will have a crazy boost for up to 48 hours AFTER your HIIT workout. So, not only are these workouts shorter, but they're like A ZILLION times more effective. My favourite workout is TurboFire which has 3 different HIIT routines that I absolutely L♥VE!! HIIT 15, HIIT 20, and HIIT 25. If you haven't tried HIIT yet try this routine below! It's only 7 minutes long for 1 circuit, but do it 3 times and you've just got yourself a kick butt routine for the day! 

Have you tried a HIIT workout before? What did you think? Leave a comment below!

Eat Protein To Lose Weight

Hi fitness friends! Today I want to share the important of proper protein in your diet. Many people have the misconception that in order to lose weight you need to eat a little bit of food and workout hard at the gym for 3 hours - NOT TRUE! Myth - BUSTED!

One of the most important parts of a successful weight loss plan is nutrition. Well, protein is essential for giving our body the proper fuel and energy it needs to function properly, recover, and aid in weight-loss.

Why? Protein plays a vital part in aiding the body's building, repairing and structural blocks of every cell in your body. You see, proteins are made up of smaller units called amino acids!

Amino acids link up in various combinations to form chains. They can be divided into 2 groups, non-essential amino acids (your body can make on its own) & essential amino acids (the ones you can only get from dietary sources). Our bodies are unable to store protein so it's clear that we need to eat protein with every meal in order to allow our bodies to absorb the amino acids properly! Unfortunatly, we can't stock up on protein by eating it once a week! Absorption of protein/amino acids is sooo important! If amino acids are absent in our diet, the production of proteins that include there essential amino acids are reserved in your body. Wrose, if you do not eat sufficient amounts of protein your body has to find it elsewhere and looks to your muscles for answers. Less muscle --> slower metabolism --> more fat stores!

Another reason protein is so important is that it takes more work to digest, metabolize, and use, which means your body burns more calories processing protein! Foods high in protein also take longer to leave your stomach - which makes you feel full sooner and longer.

Last but not least, your body uses the amino acids in protein to build lean muscle, which NOT ONLY makes you more toned and stronger, but assists in scorching more calories and more fat - keeping your metabolism in high gear! Say it with me, YAY!!!!!

**By the way** I'm a serious advocate that women don't need a protein supplement & that we should be getting our protein from natural sources like eggs and chicken, etc.

Return of TurboFire

    

    So... as much as I love the 21 Day Fix and have learned incredible things about nutrition and portion control... I MISS TurboFire.

Say WHATTTTT?!

Me? Enjoying a workout? 

    The dancing, the pumping, the right hooks & left jabs, and singing along to "PUSH IT real good" have me going back to my original baby! I mean... it DID help me lose 20 lbs so this is DEF a safe choice. Let's see where this plus the 21 Day Fix meal plan take me! I can't wait to show you guys my pictures after Round 2!

    If you want to check out turbo fire, poke around this site here! & if you want to order it with me as your coach click here!

10 Fitness Secrets From The VS Angels

    Let's be real—who doesn't want to know the fitness regimens of some of the world's most beautiful girls? Luckily for you, we spoke to Doutzen Kroes's and Adriana Lima's trainer, Michael Olajide, Jr.! Michael is a published author and former professional boxer who took his training tactics out of the ring to establish Aerospace NYC, one of Manhattan's most elite fitness destinations. Now, the Angels' tricks are coming right to you! Michael is sharing his 10 hallmark fitness tips, and we're pretty sure you'll never look the same again. Take notes!

1."Make your workout athletic emulation," Michael says. "If you do what an athlete does, you'll end up looking like one! Plus, it won't be boring like weight-lifting or other monotonous activities, and the benefits are guaranteed." His favorite Angel-approved technique? "Shadow boxing. It's great! You can also do the conditioning a boxer does, like jumping rope, ab work, and push ups to supplement your activity." If you're more of a lover than a fighter, Michael also approves of ballet, running, and cycling.

2. "Create your playlist so your song selection gets more motivating as you workout," Olajide says. "Adriana loves new electronica for her workouts. For Doutzen, her husband is a DJ, so he works with incredible electronic and house music, which is extremely motivating. It has a great pace, so you can really move to it. Some of the girls also like hip hop, such as Jay Z or Rick Ross." The cardinal rule of music selection? "The last song should be the most impactful."

3. Opposites attract when it comes to your workout. "If you are a high energy individual, learn to be still. Take a yoga class," Olajide suggests. "Do something that's counterintuitive to your personality. If you're dedicated to yoga, try a strength or speed program." 

4. "Work out at least 6 days of the week," he insists. "It doesn't matter the intensity or the length of time. Just make it a daily habit." 

5. "Do mostly cardio. Healthy blood flow is the cure to what ails most of us," Olajide says. This is arguably the most important tip of them all. Good cardio is the cornerstone of a healthy body!

6. "Do a workout with a learning curve, or something that requires developing a skill," Olajide says. "Think boxing, ballet, or kick-boxing. Doutzen loves ballet and Adriana does everything from bootcamp classes to boxing." If you're a member of a sports team, you're already working on this item, so good for you! If you're not, pick up a tennis or a swim lesson, or hop into a dance class.

7. "Hire a personal trainer once in a while to boost your abilities and teach you new things," says Olajide For some people, planning a workout can be the bigger challenge than the actual workout itself. Fitness experts call that "gym-timidation." Personal training is a solid first step to conquering your fear and kickstarting a routine that works for you. A trainer will cater to your needs, abilities, and desired results. All you have to do is show up! If you already belong to a gym, ask one of the staff members to tell you more about the training packages they offer. If your gym doesn't offer training services or if you don't have a gym membership, look into personal training gyms in your area. Just remember Michael's advice: It doesn't have to be a year-long commitment. Save up for one month of training, then try a month on your own. Revisit your trainer when you (and your bank account) feel it's necessary.

8. Make a date of it! "Train with a friend. Whether he or she is faster or stronger than you or not, you will learn from teaching as well as being taught," Olajide says. They say misery loves company, you know...

9. "Take one day out of the month where you don't eat or drink anything processed or manufactured," Olajide says. That's right—we're putting away our Kit-Kats. Eliminating processed foods starts will aids your internal organs all the way to the most external (not to mention the largest organ of them all, your skin!). Pay attention to how your body feels the morning after eliminating processed flour, chips, and other bad-for-you ingredients. You just might be surprised.

10. "Master the jump rope," Olajide insists. "It's the most convenient, efficient, and effective workout ever!"

By: Lucy McLaughlin from TeenVogue.com --> THANK YOU LUCY!! 

My 21 Day Fix Has Arrived!

    WOOOHOOO! I got my 21 day fix in the mail today and I was - NO JOKE - watching the mail lady (from my upstairs window) walk the package to my front door. Creeper? I THINK NOT! I'm soooo excited about this program. I've had friends who've lost 10-15 lbs in their first round, and continued success with more rounds completed AKA this baby works!!

It's 21 days of working out for 30 minutes a day, and eating from these cutesy little containers.

    YES, you duplicate some containers each day, don't worry!! For example, after calculating my calories in the nutrition guide, each day I'll eat:

• 4 Reds
• 3 Yellows
• 2 Orange
• 1 Blue
• 3 Greens
• 2 Purples

    I had my shakeology for breakfast (counts as a red) and my lunch which consisted of a red, blue, + green and I've eaten so much food already! It's hard to believe that it's 3pm... I'm almost not sure if I'll be able to eat the remaining food containers by the end of the day!! (Jeeze, I've NEVER had that problem before haha)

    Everyday the workout is only 30 minutes, which I'll be honest, THANK GOSH!! I mean, everyone has time for half an hour right? You get in, you get out, DONE! I can't wait to do my first workout tonight - "Total Body Fix" Ahhhh, I can just hear my body getting chiselled... just kidding ;)

    Here's a little list I found online from healthyrevenge.com to give some examples of what goes in each container (color co-ordinated). The closer a food is to the TOP of the list, the healthier it is for you. That doesn't mean you should avoid foods from the bottom though, because it's all about variety baby!

    Even though I am a beachbody coach, I had no intention of using the 21 day fix when it first came out in January this year (2014). I already have P90X, TurboFire, Brazil Butt Lift, Chalean Extreme, PIYO, & Body Beast. So... I definitely wasn't in need of a new program haha. BUT - A couple weeks ago I was scrolling through the TV channels late at night (pretty much my regular thing) and I saw "Lose 15 lbs in 21 days." I knew instantly it was for a Beachbody product & CONFESSION: I actually LOVE watching our infomercials. It makes me more proud to work with this company to end  the trend of obesity and change lives! Anways... I was watching the infomercial and was starting to think "WOW, those are impressive results. PLUS, it takes the guess work out of portion control!" Something I've never gotten good at. The whole thing just started to make sense. My mom bought the program about a month ago and she lost 6 lbs in her first week, needless to say my burning desire for this program had been building even before the convincing infomercial. 

    WELL, fast forward to last saturday and I ordered this beauty! I've literally been watching the same infomercial the last few nights since I can NOT contain my excitement!! 

    I can't wait to show you guys my before & afters. I know in my gut this is gonna be a game changer and will be the secret ingredient for me to lose those last stubborn 5lbs. Talk to you soon!