This article is the most comprehensive article about weight loss and understanding your cravings that I've ever seen in my life. It's cleared up so many mysteries and I believe anyone who reads it is much better off for having read it. Take a gander!
Fat Loss 101 - Master the Basics
(posted on Beachbody forums by Rick Stype)
It seems everyone wants (or needs) to lose weight, but with all the information out there it just gets more and more confusing for the average person to know what to do? Let’s back it up a little and start from the basic understanding of how fat loss happens in a simple and easy manner. Once you can master the basics that’s probably 90% of where all your results will come from!
Fat loss first and foremost is a hormonal event, the right hormones telling the body to release the stored “energy” in the fat cells to burn off. It is also important to know that there are also fat “storing” hormones that act in the opposite way, triggering the body to store “future energy” into the fat cells. The body triggers these hormones through many different stimuli like food, drink, exercise, stress and sleep. Fat cells are just the body’s emergency storage tanks after all. If we didn’t have fat cells, we wouldn’t have survived the famines of the past. It’s a built-in survival mechanism that is getting all the wrong signals today. The body wasn’t designed around constant intake of food, especially the processed and high in sugar kind (as that is not something that naturally grows on trees!).
So we know that fat loss is hormonal. Also fat loss occurs when oxygen is present, what is known as aerobic (which means “with oxygen”…don’t get all happy yet all you daily joggers). The other stage is called anaerobic (which means “without oxygen”). Anaerobic training is also known more commonly as “strength training” (which you can tell by the lactic acid burn). Here’s where people get confused when it comes to exercise. Most people think that by doing aerobics you burn all the fat you want. Well if that was the case, obesity would of been taken care of in 1986 and your gym aerobic instructors wouldn’t have an average BF% over 25%. Who ever said you are guaranteed to burn fat? What about stored glycogen? Plus if you can burn fat in an aerobic state, well aren’t you in an aerobic state all day long (minus brief times of anaerobic activity) including sleeping?? So here’s the breakthrough, you have the ability to burn fat all day long! The only thing left is the hormones and whether they are saying, “empty the storage tanks” or “here comes some more” to the fat cells.
The Fat loss hormones we’re going to focus on briefly are insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone (GH). Insulin is a fat storing hormone, while glucagon and GH are fat burning hormones. If insulin is present and elevated, the other hormones go down (this is an important relationship to realize). Another hormone called cortisol (stress hormone) is a muscle breakdown hormone, and that is not something we want in our fat loss quest. Below are just quick and easy bullet point on how to maximize the fat burning hormones and minimize the muscle breakdown/fat storing hormones (don’t think all muscle breakdown is bad, you need to break down and rebuild the cells it’s when you have excessive breakdown and minimal rebuilding that is the issue as that will lead to a loss of muscle).
Your #1 enemy is sugar, and places it hides (drinks, sauces, dressings, etc). If it has a label, read it and see what sugars you are really getting, as everything you put into your mouth counts! Why is sugar bad? Because sugar will be quickly absorbed into the blood which causes a spike in your blood sugar and with that spike the body releases insulin to take care of it (shuttle excessive blood sugar into the fat cells for storage!). So like I tell my clients, every time you put sugar into your mouth just tell yourself,” I don’t feel like burning fat for the next 3-4 hours” as that is exactly the hormonal signal you are giving it. Remember also when insulin is high; glucagon and GH go down (this is important to remember especially at night)
So let’s recap, for fat loss we want:
• Minimal insulin levels throughout the day (no high levels/spikes except during the post workout window when the insulin sensitivity is maximum, it goes into muscle not fat)
• Maximum Glucagon (which is directly inversely proportional to insulin levels)
• Maximum GH (which is controlled by insulin, exercise response and sleep)
• Keep Cortisol in check (you will have some, but excessive will lead to muscle loss)
For Insulin control (and max Glucagon response):
• Keep levels low by not eating sugar or foods that quickly break down into the bloodstream (processed foods, breads, cereals, pasta) Just say to yourself every time you are about to put sugar in your mouth, “I don’t want to burn any fat for the next 3-4 hours” as that is exactly what you are telling your body with your hormonal response from the ingestion of sugar! (Already said that above but I want to drive the #1 important point home!)
• Have protein with every meal (as that will slow down the digestion of any sugars). Also protein intake stimulates the release of glucagon.
• Improve insulin sensitivity with glycogen draining exercise (resistance training), which will in turn reduce your insulin resistance (which is one of the biggest reasons for obesity and a serious increase of risks for many other diseases including heart disease, cancers, diabetes, accelerated aging and more!)
For max GH response:
• Most of your daily GH is released in the first couple hours of sleep at night (75%). Keep your insulin levels low (which means no big meals or sugar 2-3 hours before bed) and get to bed by 10pm to get the maximum response. So get your sleep, your body will thank you. People shorting themselves on sleep will also be hindering their fat loss efforts and may lead to more weight gain from improper hormonal responses (which can also trigger cravings!)
• Exercise with Intensity (for fast twitch muscle recruitment, not slow twitch), whether it is resistance training with short rest periods or doing interval training like sprints. Short burst of anaerobic intense exercise (lactic acid burn) will in turn signal the body to release GH. Long aerobic activities (jogging, etc) will NOT. (The old argument of look at the body composition of a sprinter vs. the marathon runner - the sprinter has more muscle and very low bf%, the marathon runner has little muscle and a higher bf% even if they look smaller.) See the role of lactate in exercise induced GH response.
• Exercise in a fasted state has also shown to increase GH levels (again make sure you have enough energy to get through the workout, a small meal may be needed 1-2 hours prior if the activity it too intense)
Minimize excessive Cortisol:
• Keep all intense strength or cardio exercise under 45min (remember we want to increase the intensity in a short period, not the duration). Anything longer will just start wasting muscle as fuel.
• Practice relaxing throughout the day, don’t stress out over things that mean very little in the long run (ask yourself will this really be important in 1 week, 1 month, 1 year). Get perspective on things in your life, and detach from things that really don’t matter. Smile more, take deep breaths throughout the day, get out in nature, find your passions in life, etc. We are too stressed out and our body was only meant to use stress in short bursts (fight or flight response) not all day long events.
So if you can master these small steps, you will see tremendous changes. Remember that fat loss is an all day event! So eat and live your life that way! Don’t worry about how many calories you burn doing something, because that is not the point. Worry about what you eat all day and how your hormones are going to react to it. Eat the foods your body was meant to eat and live the active lifestyle your body was designed for, and you will have increased health, look great, feel great and hopefully live long and stay active. So, to sum up:
• Remember that 85% of fat loss is nutritional based (not how many calories you can burn doing something) and you have the ability to burn fat all day long if your hormones tell your body to do so.
• Eat whole natural foods (not processed - if it wasn’t around 100 years ago, you don’t need it!), avoid all sugars (foods and drinks), have protein with every meal
• Train your fast twitch muscles with resistance training 2-3x a week and do 30-60min of “active lifestyle” based movement daily (not going to call it cardio). Go have fun doing whatever! (Play tennis, go walking/hiking, ride a bike, enjoy what you do!)
• Stop stressing out, take some deep breaths, get outside to relax and get your 8hrs of sleep.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
009. Oops.
Okay, so I guess it's official--I'm pretty much the world's worst blogger.
But hey, everyone's got strengths and weaknesses, right? I'm not deleting my blog simply because I don't always (...okay, because I RARELY...) have the energy to write posts. I am going to make a solid effort to post more often though, because it's kind of ridiculous that I have this blog that's supposed to be interesting and informative but yet I only post in it maybe once a month if I'm lucky.
H'okay. Givin' this thing a shot.
I got the idea for this entry from a fellow Beachbody coach, Kelly Nelson (http://coachkel.blogspot.com). It was something I had been thinking about as well, but I guess I needed the extra push to actually write it down. ...Hey, that's what coaching's all about, right? Giving people that extra nudge to accomplish what you know they can do? Exactly.
Anyway, back to the point. My copy of Insanity will be arriving at my house in about an hour and a half. I've been so excited for this program since they announced its launch at the coach summit in March; it's an extremely intense, cardio-based "shreddage" program that is being touted as the most difficult workout program ever to be put on DVD--and I fully believe it! If DVDs wore out like tapes did, my free preview disc that I got with my One-on-One in May would be completely worn out by now! It brings me to the floor in a puddle of my own sweat each time I do it, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
...But now that my own copy of the FULL program is on its way, a sense of reality has hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm basically going to be commiting myself to 60 days of pure hell. I'm going to be torturing myself--with the best and most welcome form of torture possible mind you, so it's a good-natured torture--for a full 60 days. What am I thinking here?!?!!!! Obviously I'm crazy, but why am I crazy? Because I love a challenge? Because I'm ready to take things to the next level? Because I want to be more disciplined? All of the above--but the best question is, why do I think I'm crazy for wanting to do this? What makes me think I can't do it?
Oh, that's right, because I'm the laziest human being on earth. I admit it--I am super-duper lazy. If I have nowhere to be for days at a clip, I'll literally just sit around and do nothing except eat, exercise, and whatever's necessary at the time. It's horrible. However, when it comes to my exercise regimen, I'm surprisingly strict with myself; even if I have plans, I'll always get it in somehow. I use my head when evaluating what exactly I will be doing that day, but it always happens, because I like how I feel when I'm done.
...That las tstatement statement brings me back to my initial question: what makes me think I cannot complete a full 60 days of the Insanity program? I really have no idea. I know I'm just going to take it one day at a time, and I've been so psyched for this for so long, so I'm definitely not going to quit, but I really don't know why I keep second guessing myself all of a sudden. I guess we'll just have to see what happens!
...........................and I promise I'll update about it ;)
<3 Jillian
But hey, everyone's got strengths and weaknesses, right? I'm not deleting my blog simply because I don't always (...okay, because I RARELY...) have the energy to write posts. I am going to make a solid effort to post more often though, because it's kind of ridiculous that I have this blog that's supposed to be interesting and informative but yet I only post in it maybe once a month if I'm lucky.
H'okay. Givin' this thing a shot.
I got the idea for this entry from a fellow Beachbody coach, Kelly Nelson (http://coachkel.blogspot.com). It was something I had been thinking about as well, but I guess I needed the extra push to actually write it down. ...Hey, that's what coaching's all about, right? Giving people that extra nudge to accomplish what you know they can do? Exactly.
Anyway, back to the point. My copy of Insanity will be arriving at my house in about an hour and a half. I've been so excited for this program since they announced its launch at the coach summit in March; it's an extremely intense, cardio-based "shreddage" program that is being touted as the most difficult workout program ever to be put on DVD--and I fully believe it! If DVDs wore out like tapes did, my free preview disc that I got with my One-on-One in May would be completely worn out by now! It brings me to the floor in a puddle of my own sweat each time I do it, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
...But now that my own copy of the FULL program is on its way, a sense of reality has hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm basically going to be commiting myself to 60 days of pure hell. I'm going to be torturing myself--with the best and most welcome form of torture possible mind you, so it's a good-natured torture--for a full 60 days. What am I thinking here?!?!!!! Obviously I'm crazy, but why am I crazy? Because I love a challenge? Because I'm ready to take things to the next level? Because I want to be more disciplined? All of the above--but the best question is, why do I think I'm crazy for wanting to do this? What makes me think I can't do it?
Oh, that's right, because I'm the laziest human being on earth. I admit it--I am super-duper lazy. If I have nowhere to be for days at a clip, I'll literally just sit around and do nothing except eat, exercise, and whatever's necessary at the time. It's horrible. However, when it comes to my exercise regimen, I'm surprisingly strict with myself; even if I have plans, I'll always get it in somehow. I use my head when evaluating what exactly I will be doing that day, but it always happens, because I like how I feel when I'm done.
...That las tstatement statement brings me back to my initial question: what makes me think I cannot complete a full 60 days of the Insanity program? I really have no idea. I know I'm just going to take it one day at a time, and I've been so psyched for this for so long, so I'm definitely not going to quit, but I really don't know why I keep second guessing myself all of a sudden. I guess we'll just have to see what happens!
...........................and I promise I'll update about it ;)
<3 Jillian
Monday, June 15, 2009
008. Just a thought...
Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire; if you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn. Be thankful for the difficult times; during those times you grow. Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character. Be thankful for your mistakes - they will teach you valuable lessons. Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference. It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
I saw that in someone from high school's AIM profile and I thought it was super appropriate to post...well, everywhere. It really is true. It's so easy to be thankful for the good things in life but yet everyone always laments the bad things. There's always a silver lining!! :) Thanks, Kew!
I saw that in someone from high school's AIM profile and I thought it was super appropriate to post...well, everywhere. It really is true. It's so easy to be thankful for the good things in life but yet everyone always laments the bad things. There's always a silver lining!! :) Thanks, Kew!
Friday, June 5, 2009
007. ARGH!!
Okay, so when I can't sleep, I flip through infomercials if I don't feel like watching DVDs. Usually I find a P90X one, or some ab-doohickey thing that I just watch for kicks. Buuutttt every now and then I run into this one:
The Kymaro Body Shaper.
Yes, sometimes we all need a good shaper to smooth things out, I won't lie. But when it's "recommended" as a SUBSTITUTE for losing weight and being healthy--that's just not cool. The infomercial had women that had waist sizes of 49" -- 49 INCHES!! -- and when they tried this thing on, apparently it made them "shrink" 4.5 inches. What was worst was that the people for Kymaro were like "wow, and you didn't have to do a single situp, crunch, or exercise!" and made it sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread!
Here is where my "ARGH!!" comes in. I get so frustrated when people think they can take the easy way out of everything. My favorite acronym in the world comes from my 12th grade economics/government/psych teacher--"TINSTAAFL": There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. Meaning, everything comes at a price, no matter what it is. You can keep trying to find quick fixes and that's what you'll get, not a lasting change.
Ugh, I feel like I've gone on way too many rants like this lately, so I'm going to stop. I just had to get my aggression out somewhere, sorry!
~ Jillian
The Kymaro Body Shaper.
Yes, sometimes we all need a good shaper to smooth things out, I won't lie. But when it's "recommended" as a SUBSTITUTE for losing weight and being healthy--that's just not cool. The infomercial had women that had waist sizes of 49" -- 49 INCHES!! -- and when they tried this thing on, apparently it made them "shrink" 4.5 inches. What was worst was that the people for Kymaro were like "wow, and you didn't have to do a single situp, crunch, or exercise!" and made it sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread!
Here is where my "ARGH!!" comes in. I get so frustrated when people think they can take the easy way out of everything. My favorite acronym in the world comes from my 12th grade economics/government/psych teacher--"TINSTAAFL": There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. Meaning, everything comes at a price, no matter what it is. You can keep trying to find quick fixes and that's what you'll get, not a lasting change.
Ugh, I feel like I've gone on way too many rants like this lately, so I'm going to stop. I just had to get my aggression out somewhere, sorry!
~ Jillian
Thursday, June 4, 2009
006. Small Wins
Sooo, I'm dying.
...Just kidding. I'm only really sick, but I figure now's as good a time as ever to write a blog entry, right? I've had this little gem in my head for quite a while and every time I went to write it, either my internet would crash or my computer would shut down in the middle of the night or the plague would strike, or...I don't know, but for a while I was thinking maybe I just wasn't meant to write this entry. Obviously, since things keep getting in the way, it just wasn't a good idea. Aaaaaaaaand then I thought better of it and now here we are.
Something I've [clearly] been thinking about a lot lately is the matter of small wins. What exactly are small wins, and how do they REALLY help us out? But the more I think about it, the more I realize that small wins are exactly what ALWAYS get us to wherever we need to go.
Think about this for a second. Bill Gates didn't create Microsoft at the snap of a finger; the first climber of Mount Kilimanjaro didn't start out on Mount Kilimanjaro; everybody's favorite, "Rome wasn't built in a day." And whoever came up with that phrase was completely right--it takes TIME and PATIENCE to get where you want to go.
How does this apply to fitness and weight loss? Ohhh, patience young grasshopper. ...Actually, there isn't really any patience necessary for this one, because it's very easy. You can't go from 600 lbs to 200 lbs in one workout. That should be pretty basic, but so many people overlook it. The ol', "I've got too much weight to lose to do anything at this point." Members of my own family have completely given up on the idea of losing weight due to a knee problem (even though they acknowledge that this knee problem is due to excessive weight on their frames--go figure).
When small exercises are suggested, like maybe power walking on a treadmill accompanied by a light weights circuit, I get a firm "no." When even smaller things, like walking around the block, are suggested, I get the same "no." They're basically looking for me to say "hey, count to 10, go to sleep, and you'll wake up looking like Christie Brinkley!" ...but lets be serious, looking for the quick fix is NOT going to work, people!!! Take things in striiiiiiiiiiiide. Start out by making teeny changes in your diet--like passing on the cookies at dessert, for instance. Then throw in a bit of light exercise. Then graduate to a slightly more advanced program.
And you know what? This entry's called small "wins" for a reason--CELEBRATE when you overcome each task! Celebrate when you get to add something new! The more you celebrate, the better you'll feel; the better you feel, the more your progress shows; the more your progress shows, the brighter you'll shine.
Have a good day!
<3 Jillian
...Just kidding. I'm only really sick, but I figure now's as good a time as ever to write a blog entry, right? I've had this little gem in my head for quite a while and every time I went to write it, either my internet would crash or my computer would shut down in the middle of the night or the plague would strike, or...I don't know, but for a while I was thinking maybe I just wasn't meant to write this entry. Obviously, since things keep getting in the way, it just wasn't a good idea. Aaaaaaaaand then I thought better of it and now here we are.
Something I've [clearly] been thinking about a lot lately is the matter of small wins. What exactly are small wins, and how do they REALLY help us out? But the more I think about it, the more I realize that small wins are exactly what ALWAYS get us to wherever we need to go.
Think about this for a second. Bill Gates didn't create Microsoft at the snap of a finger; the first climber of Mount Kilimanjaro didn't start out on Mount Kilimanjaro; everybody's favorite, "Rome wasn't built in a day." And whoever came up with that phrase was completely right--it takes TIME and PATIENCE to get where you want to go.
How does this apply to fitness and weight loss? Ohhh, patience young grasshopper. ...Actually, there isn't really any patience necessary for this one, because it's very easy. You can't go from 600 lbs to 200 lbs in one workout. That should be pretty basic, but so many people overlook it. The ol', "I've got too much weight to lose to do anything at this point." Members of my own family have completely given up on the idea of losing weight due to a knee problem (even though they acknowledge that this knee problem is due to excessive weight on their frames--go figure).
When small exercises are suggested, like maybe power walking on a treadmill accompanied by a light weights circuit, I get a firm "no." When even smaller things, like walking around the block, are suggested, I get the same "no." They're basically looking for me to say "hey, count to 10, go to sleep, and you'll wake up looking like Christie Brinkley!" ...but lets be serious, looking for the quick fix is NOT going to work, people!!! Take things in striiiiiiiiiiiide. Start out by making teeny changes in your diet--like passing on the cookies at dessert, for instance. Then throw in a bit of light exercise. Then graduate to a slightly more advanced program.
And you know what? This entry's called small "wins" for a reason--CELEBRATE when you overcome each task! Celebrate when you get to add something new! The more you celebrate, the better you'll feel; the better you feel, the more your progress shows; the more your progress shows, the brighter you'll shine.
Have a good day!
<3 Jillian
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
005. Going M.I.A.
Hello?
......Jillian?
Are you there?
*crickets*
Oh, sorry, here I am! Yes, I admit, I went AWOL for a few weeks. School caught up to me, and with finals and papers and projects and stuff, something had to give.
Ya know, that's a phrase that's used a lot, or something to that effect anyway. "Something's gotta give. I had to let go of something. I have to prioritize." ...But what exactly is prioritizing?
Everyone has his own idea of what it is to prioritize. In all honesty, when I was in high school my priorities were as follows: computer/internet, food, diving, homework, family/friends. I'm not even kidding--that is my complete list of 16-year-old priorities. In the four years that have elapsed, needless to say I've matured quite a bit and my priorities have rearranged themselves and morphed to fit my needs. They now look something like this: family, friends, school, fitness, fun.
Fitness? What? Where did THAT come from?!
When I was in high school, I was usually doing something. It wasn't always exercise, but it was always SOMETHING, whether it was doing homework or going to a meeting for a club or sleeping, or actually being IN school, it was always something. I didn't have time to focus on me, nor did I care about focusing on me. (Long story short, I really did not care about myself at all in high school, in every area of my life. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.) When I got into college, I realized something important: I'm worth something. I'm worth troubling over. I'm worth whatever I want myself to be worth.
With this thought in mind, I started trying to take care of myself. I started with the most important aspect at the time--mental health. I definitely had some baggage from my past that I needed to let go of before I could get to anything else, so I started with that. It didn't happen overnight; it took about 2 years for me to finally be okay with who I am and where I'm headed, and to use the things that happened in my past in a positive way to influence my future. I've learned a lot from my past, and quite frankly I would not change a thing about it. I'm a stronger, more outgoing person because of it.
Lately, and for the rest of my life, I will continue to focus on this part, but in conjunction with an extremely important part of my health--physical health. Physical health and mental health are so closely linked, for one reason, due to biology. Hormones and neurotransmitters go hand-in-hand with exercise. When you exercise, you feel good! It makes you happy! Obviously nutrition is important as well, which I've also been more careful about as of late.
It took me a while to realize just how much I missed being physically active. I think the real "wake-up call" for me was when I bent over to pick something up, and my stomach got in the way. Now keep in mind, I will admit, I have never been morbidly obese in my life. My highest weight ever was 160 lbs. when I was 5'4". I have been considered overweight for a while, but never in any serious [immediate] danger. Bearing this in mind, my friends laughed at me when I told them the story. But for me, that was a big deal! Another big deal was when I was driving and I found my stomach pushing up into my lungs and making breathing weird...not laborious or anything, just...weird. I knew I needed to do something. With that said, I whipped out my old Turbo Jam DVDs and got to work!
But it wasn't just about doing the DVDs--it was finding time for consistency, and that took rearranging my priorities a bit. I had to fit ME into the mix. I had to learn that, no matter what my school schedule looked like, I had to do at least one DVD per day. I kept myself on a strict schedule and did not miss a single day. (Actually, I think that's a lie, I might've missed ONE day, but that's it.) For me, that's what it was about: carving out that one 45-minute block of time per day to work out. I made sure I did some schoolwork and then said "okay, it's 6 PM, I've got a WOWY date that I can't break so I have to go work out." After a while, I WANTED to work out! I really missed that feeling.
And now, even though I've been done with ChaLEAN Extreme (which I credit for getting me back on track) for almost 6 weeks now, I'm still going strong! I know I havent' posted in a while, and I'm sorry for that, but I've definitely been keeping up with the workouts! Thanks to my newly reinvented priorities, I'm on a great path for now.
So my question to you is this: how long has it been since you've last examined your priorities? Are there any changes you need (or want) to make? Is there anything that needs to be added or subtracted? Take a good hard look at your priorities, and you'll make sure on your own that YOU never gets lost in the shuffle.
~Jillian
......Jillian?
Are you there?
*crickets*
Oh, sorry, here I am! Yes, I admit, I went AWOL for a few weeks. School caught up to me, and with finals and papers and projects and stuff, something had to give.
Ya know, that's a phrase that's used a lot, or something to that effect anyway. "Something's gotta give. I had to let go of something. I have to prioritize." ...But what exactly is prioritizing?
Everyone has his own idea of what it is to prioritize. In all honesty, when I was in high school my priorities were as follows: computer/internet, food, diving, homework, family/friends. I'm not even kidding--that is my complete list of 16-year-old priorities. In the four years that have elapsed, needless to say I've matured quite a bit and my priorities have rearranged themselves and morphed to fit my needs. They now look something like this: family, friends, school, fitness, fun.
Fitness? What? Where did THAT come from?!
When I was in high school, I was usually doing something. It wasn't always exercise, but it was always SOMETHING, whether it was doing homework or going to a meeting for a club or sleeping, or actually being IN school, it was always something. I didn't have time to focus on me, nor did I care about focusing on me. (Long story short, I really did not care about myself at all in high school, in every area of my life. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.) When I got into college, I realized something important: I'm worth something. I'm worth troubling over. I'm worth whatever I want myself to be worth.
With this thought in mind, I started trying to take care of myself. I started with the most important aspect at the time--mental health. I definitely had some baggage from my past that I needed to let go of before I could get to anything else, so I started with that. It didn't happen overnight; it took about 2 years for me to finally be okay with who I am and where I'm headed, and to use the things that happened in my past in a positive way to influence my future. I've learned a lot from my past, and quite frankly I would not change a thing about it. I'm a stronger, more outgoing person because of it.
Lately, and for the rest of my life, I will continue to focus on this part, but in conjunction with an extremely important part of my health--physical health. Physical health and mental health are so closely linked, for one reason, due to biology. Hormones and neurotransmitters go hand-in-hand with exercise. When you exercise, you feel good! It makes you happy! Obviously nutrition is important as well, which I've also been more careful about as of late.
It took me a while to realize just how much I missed being physically active. I think the real "wake-up call" for me was when I bent over to pick something up, and my stomach got in the way. Now keep in mind, I will admit, I have never been morbidly obese in my life. My highest weight ever was 160 lbs. when I was 5'4". I have been considered overweight for a while, but never in any serious [immediate] danger. Bearing this in mind, my friends laughed at me when I told them the story. But for me, that was a big deal! Another big deal was when I was driving and I found my stomach pushing up into my lungs and making breathing weird...not laborious or anything, just...weird. I knew I needed to do something. With that said, I whipped out my old Turbo Jam DVDs and got to work!
But it wasn't just about doing the DVDs--it was finding time for consistency, and that took rearranging my priorities a bit. I had to fit ME into the mix. I had to learn that, no matter what my school schedule looked like, I had to do at least one DVD per day. I kept myself on a strict schedule and did not miss a single day. (Actually, I think that's a lie, I might've missed ONE day, but that's it.) For me, that's what it was about: carving out that one 45-minute block of time per day to work out. I made sure I did some schoolwork and then said "okay, it's 6 PM, I've got a WOWY date that I can't break so I have to go work out." After a while, I WANTED to work out! I really missed that feeling.
And now, even though I've been done with ChaLEAN Extreme (which I credit for getting me back on track) for almost 6 weeks now, I'm still going strong! I know I havent' posted in a while, and I'm sorry for that, but I've definitely been keeping up with the workouts! Thanks to my newly reinvented priorities, I'm on a great path for now.
So my question to you is this: how long has it been since you've last examined your priorities? Are there any changes you need (or want) to make? Is there anything that needs to be added or subtracted? Take a good hard look at your priorities, and you'll make sure on your own that YOU never gets lost in the shuffle.
~Jillian
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
004. Be Your Own Yoda
Quite possibly one of my favorite eating tips of all time is self-taught: trick yourself. Why do I love it so much? Because it works!
Here's an example. I babysit every Thursday, and every Thursday, like clockwork, the parents end up ordering pizza to the house (thinking it's a great idea, despite my best efforts). I love the entire family, but they love pizza wayyyy too much. Now, this could very easily completely derail any diet. As much as I love pizza, I could totally turn it down if I had the opportunity. However, cooking my own meals while babysitting is probably not the best idea in the world.
Therefore, I've learned some good "coping strategies." First of all, I set my brain and I tell myself before the pizza arrives that I WILL be good about this. I won't eat the entire pie (lets be real--the opportunity's there, the kids eat a maximum of 1 slice each!), and I will eat slowly. Then, when the pizza actually shows up at the house, I serve the kids first--and I do exactly with them as I will end up doing with myself: cutting their slices in half, and giving them half a slice at a time (keeping the second half out of sight until they're finished with their first). Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Not so much. Tons of people end up giving small children full slices of pizza and expect them to finish the whole thing, and so many of them do end up finishing it! I learned the hard way--each week, the 4 year old would only eat half her piece of pizza, even though she would cry about wanting "the big piece" every week. (Knowing that she wouldn't even come close to finishing half of it was my solace, so I didn't feel guilty giving in to her every now and then.)
Like I said, what started with them then trickled down to me. I now always cut my pizza slice in half. Why do I do this? I used to always be a firm and definite two-slicer. Never more, never less. If I ever had less, people thought I was sick. With this thought in mind, 1/2 slice + 1/2 slice = "2" slices! And what do you know--after I'm done with those two half slices, my brain thinks I've had two full slices! In fact, most times it doesn't even WANT that extra half! It really is a miracle technique.
I always tell my friends, "if it's there, I'll eat it; if it's not there, I won't eat it." Again, seems like a no-brainer. However, when something is "only 50-cents more than the half order!," it's harder to resist ordering that full-size order of potato skins. If I don't buy it, I won't want it. I apply this to dessert as well. Luckily for me, at my school, we have the ice cream freezer. It's stocked with tons and tons of really bad things, including HFCS-laden "healthy" ice pops. (HFCS stands for High Fructose Corn Syrup, AKA public enemy #1 of the food world.) While I understand that Haagen-Dazs ice cream is not necessarily the healthiest choice in the world, sometimes my devilish, fruit-won't-cure-me sweet tooth strikes and I don't have a choice but to succumb to it once every three months or so. Therefore, I go for the teeeeny-tiny container. It's about the size of a half-dollar in diameter, and shorter than the length of my thumb. I know that if this is all that's in front of me, I won't want more, and I'll stop myself after I'm done.
Speaking of sweet tooth, my absolute FAVORITE way to combat a sweet tooth while somewhat "giving in" - bite sized candies. Andes Candies are my faaaaaavorite thing in the world. They're individually wrapped, 25 calories each, miniscule amount of saturated fat. Have two, and your craving for sweets is gone!
*climbs off soap box*
And that's Wednesday ;)
<3 Jillian
Here's an example. I babysit every Thursday, and every Thursday, like clockwork, the parents end up ordering pizza to the house (thinking it's a great idea, despite my best efforts). I love the entire family, but they love pizza wayyyy too much. Now, this could very easily completely derail any diet. As much as I love pizza, I could totally turn it down if I had the opportunity. However, cooking my own meals while babysitting is probably not the best idea in the world.
Therefore, I've learned some good "coping strategies." First of all, I set my brain and I tell myself before the pizza arrives that I WILL be good about this. I won't eat the entire pie (lets be real--the opportunity's there, the kids eat a maximum of 1 slice each!), and I will eat slowly. Then, when the pizza actually shows up at the house, I serve the kids first--and I do exactly with them as I will end up doing with myself: cutting their slices in half, and giving them half a slice at a time (keeping the second half out of sight until they're finished with their first). Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Not so much. Tons of people end up giving small children full slices of pizza and expect them to finish the whole thing, and so many of them do end up finishing it! I learned the hard way--each week, the 4 year old would only eat half her piece of pizza, even though she would cry about wanting "the big piece" every week. (Knowing that she wouldn't even come close to finishing half of it was my solace, so I didn't feel guilty giving in to her every now and then.)
Like I said, what started with them then trickled down to me. I now always cut my pizza slice in half. Why do I do this? I used to always be a firm and definite two-slicer. Never more, never less. If I ever had less, people thought I was sick. With this thought in mind, 1/2 slice + 1/2 slice = "2" slices! And what do you know--after I'm done with those two half slices, my brain thinks I've had two full slices! In fact, most times it doesn't even WANT that extra half! It really is a miracle technique.
I always tell my friends, "if it's there, I'll eat it; if it's not there, I won't eat it." Again, seems like a no-brainer. However, when something is "only 50-cents more than the half order!," it's harder to resist ordering that full-size order of potato skins. If I don't buy it, I won't want it. I apply this to dessert as well. Luckily for me, at my school, we have the ice cream freezer. It's stocked with tons and tons of really bad things, including HFCS-laden "healthy" ice pops. (HFCS stands for High Fructose Corn Syrup, AKA public enemy #1 of the food world.) While I understand that Haagen-Dazs ice cream is not necessarily the healthiest choice in the world, sometimes my devilish, fruit-won't-cure-me sweet tooth strikes and I don't have a choice but to succumb to it once every three months or so. Therefore, I go for the teeeeny-tiny container. It's about the size of a half-dollar in diameter, and shorter than the length of my thumb. I know that if this is all that's in front of me, I won't want more, and I'll stop myself after I'm done.
Speaking of sweet tooth, my absolute FAVORITE way to combat a sweet tooth while somewhat "giving in" - bite sized candies. Andes Candies are my faaaaaavorite thing in the world. They're individually wrapped, 25 calories each, miniscule amount of saturated fat. Have two, and your craving for sweets is gone!
*climbs off soap box*
And that's Wednesday ;)
<3 Jillian
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
003. Boredom Eating
Poking around the many blogs on this worldwide web has me thinking. I'm sitting here reading, not really doing much of anything (though, admittedly, I totally should be doing homework), and I feel hungry. Hungry? I know what you're thinking: Really Jill, it's 2:50 AM and you're hungry? Well, to be honest, I'm really not. I'm bored. And there are SO many of us that eat when we're bored. Why do we do this?
Here's my little theory. It's not exactly scientific, and it hasn't been cited in the great medical journals of our time, but it's mine and noone else's [to my knowledge]. People like to talk (*ahem*), therefore their mouths are always moving. When they talk, they don't think about eating, because their mouths are moving as if they are eating, even though they're not. When the mouth isn't moving, it feels like it should be moving, and sends signals to the brain that it's hungry.
...I told you it wasn't expert, what were you expecting?!
But here's how I combat this whole boredom eating debacle in my life. There are a few solid alternatives to not eating when my mouth just wants to munch.
My favorite is this one: drink water. 90% of the time your body feels like it's hungry, it's dehydrated. And by dehydrated I mean 2/3 dehydrated--so we're talkin' BIG TIME here. Drinking ice cold water not only re-hydrates you, but it also fills you up and helps you burn some calories! (When the body has to heat up the cold water, it helps speed up your metabolism. See, you learn something new every day!) As an added perk, it helps your skin look great, and you almost automatically gain more energy from that faster metabolism.
Another favorite: "What I Want More." This one simple phrase helps me through many a tough time at 1 AM when I'm writing a paper and just want to snack. It truly puts things into perspective: "What do I want more, a body I'm proud of and a healthy life, or a few cookies?" Admittedly, I sometimes pick the cookies. BUT, it's not necessarily a setback, it's just a bump. Life's all about the bumps in the road, taking the good with the bad, etc--and cookies are my bumps ;)
This is definitely going to be one of those "To Be Continued..." entries, but for now I think I've exhausted my brain cells for the day so I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, everybody!
<3 Jillian
"To the world, you may be one person; to one person, you may be the world." ~Unknown
Here's my little theory. It's not exactly scientific, and it hasn't been cited in the great medical journals of our time, but it's mine and noone else's [to my knowledge]. People like to talk (*ahem*), therefore their mouths are always moving. When they talk, they don't think about eating, because their mouths are moving as if they are eating, even though they're not. When the mouth isn't moving, it feels like it should be moving, and sends signals to the brain that it's hungry.
...I told you it wasn't expert, what were you expecting?!
But here's how I combat this whole boredom eating debacle in my life. There are a few solid alternatives to not eating when my mouth just wants to munch.
My favorite is this one: drink water. 90% of the time your body feels like it's hungry, it's dehydrated. And by dehydrated I mean 2/3 dehydrated--so we're talkin' BIG TIME here. Drinking ice cold water not only re-hydrates you, but it also fills you up and helps you burn some calories! (When the body has to heat up the cold water, it helps speed up your metabolism. See, you learn something new every day!) As an added perk, it helps your skin look great, and you almost automatically gain more energy from that faster metabolism.
Another favorite: "What I Want More." This one simple phrase helps me through many a tough time at 1 AM when I'm writing a paper and just want to snack. It truly puts things into perspective: "What do I want more, a body I'm proud of and a healthy life, or a few cookies?" Admittedly, I sometimes pick the cookies. BUT, it's not necessarily a setback, it's just a bump. Life's all about the bumps in the road, taking the good with the bad, etc--and cookies are my bumps ;)
This is definitely going to be one of those "To Be Continued..." entries, but for now I think I've exhausted my brain cells for the day so I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, everybody!
<3 Jillian
"To the world, you may be one person; to one person, you may be the world." ~Unknown
002. Life as a Beachbody "User"
So. What exactly does it mean to be a Beachbody customer?
Some equate fitness companies to advertising ploys. Lets be real--that's what most "fitness" companies are; they advertise how to get those coveted six-pack abs--in just 5 minutes a day!--without having to change your diet or do serious exercise. They show pictures of airbrushed, photoshopped people, and use celebrity "clients" as their spokespeople. Many, if not most, of these companies are untrusted by their own consumers! I see commercials daily for "fitness" equipment that, just looking at it, I know can cause serious harm to the body. (My favorite is a gem that promises you abs of steel while lying in a chair on the floor, which can cause disc problems upon sitting up! I know that's what I'VE always dreamed of, how 'bout you!?)
Successful Beachbody customers see fitness as a lifestyle change. It's not just working out. It's not about "dieting." It's not about cutting out carbs and consuming ridiculous amounts of protein. It's about changing your entire mindset to one of a healthy person.
And how, exactly, does one accomplish this?
It's definitely an uphill battle for most of us--it is for me, anyway, which is part of the reason I decided to become a coach. It gives me a level of accountability I could never have by doing this on my own. For Beachbody people, it's a simple as Play, Shake, and Share.
Play - pick a program, and push "play" every day. Beachbody has tons of really fun programs that are all-inclusive, most of which are fewer than 45 minutes long!
Shake - pick your meal replacement shake. A good meal replacement shake is the best way to keep your calorie count down so that you can get even more nutrients through whole foods throughout the rest of the day. My personal favorite is the brand new Shakeology. I love blending it with tons of ice and peanut butter--it's like a chocolate peanut butter milkshake!
Share! - Tell people what you're doing!! Join WOWY and find a group for people doing the program you're doing. Get on the [free!] message boards and make some friends! It's such a supportive community and there's no better way to get involved than to join the threads on the message boards. You can find workout tips, nutrition tips, recipes, and people in your area of the globe that you can talk to about anything. I've found my home on the threads, and it was the best thing I could've done for myself.
It's that simple! Everything else falls into place from there. Through the people I've met on the boards, I've learned TONS of tips and tricks that I never would've heard anywhere else, and I truly believe that the "share" part of that equation has been the biggest factor in my success with Beachbody products. (Ask my family--I'm notorious for giving things exactly 3 days and then quitting. I've yet to do that to ANY Beachbody products!)
...For those of you readers that are big on semantics, you might've noticed my utilization of the word "user" in the title of this entry. Why? Because getting in shape and getting healthy is ADDICTIVE!! ..Seriously. It's contagious, too! Once people see you doing something great for yourself and they hear it takes you virtually no time to do it, they get on board too! You can start a chain reaction by getting yourself in shape! How exciting is that?! It's been so rewarding for me, knowing I'm helping people get healthier while having fun at the same time.
That's my shpiel for today, enjoy!
<3 Jillian
Some equate fitness companies to advertising ploys. Lets be real--that's what most "fitness" companies are; they advertise how to get those coveted six-pack abs--in just 5 minutes a day!--without having to change your diet or do serious exercise. They show pictures of airbrushed, photoshopped people, and use celebrity "clients" as their spokespeople. Many, if not most, of these companies are untrusted by their own consumers! I see commercials daily for "fitness" equipment that, just looking at it, I know can cause serious harm to the body. (My favorite is a gem that promises you abs of steel while lying in a chair on the floor, which can cause disc problems upon sitting up! I know that's what I'VE always dreamed of, how 'bout you!?)
Successful Beachbody customers see fitness as a lifestyle change. It's not just working out. It's not about "dieting." It's not about cutting out carbs and consuming ridiculous amounts of protein. It's about changing your entire mindset to one of a healthy person.
And how, exactly, does one accomplish this?
It's definitely an uphill battle for most of us--it is for me, anyway, which is part of the reason I decided to become a coach. It gives me a level of accountability I could never have by doing this on my own. For Beachbody people, it's a simple as Play, Shake, and Share.
Play - pick a program, and push "play" every day. Beachbody has tons of really fun programs that are all-inclusive, most of which are fewer than 45 minutes long!
Shake - pick your meal replacement shake. A good meal replacement shake is the best way to keep your calorie count down so that you can get even more nutrients through whole foods throughout the rest of the day. My personal favorite is the brand new Shakeology. I love blending it with tons of ice and peanut butter--it's like a chocolate peanut butter milkshake!
Share! - Tell people what you're doing!! Join WOWY and find a group for people doing the program you're doing. Get on the [free!] message boards and make some friends! It's such a supportive community and there's no better way to get involved than to join the threads on the message boards. You can find workout tips, nutrition tips, recipes, and people in your area of the globe that you can talk to about anything. I've found my home on the threads, and it was the best thing I could've done for myself.
It's that simple! Everything else falls into place from there. Through the people I've met on the boards, I've learned TONS of tips and tricks that I never would've heard anywhere else, and I truly believe that the "share" part of that equation has been the biggest factor in my success with Beachbody products. (Ask my family--I'm notorious for giving things exactly 3 days and then quitting. I've yet to do that to ANY Beachbody products!)
...For those of you readers that are big on semantics, you might've noticed my utilization of the word "user" in the title of this entry. Why? Because getting in shape and getting healthy is ADDICTIVE!! ..Seriously. It's contagious, too! Once people see you doing something great for yourself and they hear it takes you virtually no time to do it, they get on board too! You can start a chain reaction by getting yourself in shape! How exciting is that?! It's been so rewarding for me, knowing I'm helping people get healthier while having fun at the same time.
That's my shpiel for today, enjoy!
<3 Jillian
Sunday, April 5, 2009
001. Welcome! :)
So obviously, I've decided to start blogging. Why? Because I've just become a Beachbody coach and I'm feelin' the need to share that with the world.
...okay, first things first. Who, exactly, is "I"?
"I" is Jillian. I'm 20 years old and I'm a junior in college. I attend Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, and I'm majoring in psychology. I hope to eventually have a PhD in clinical psychology, and I want to open my own practice one day. I babysit two really cute kids, James (7) and Elizabeth (almost 5), and I also work in their mother's office. I love my family, even though they drive me crazy. My 16-year-old brother is my sanity, which is ironic because I'm pretty sure he's certifiably insane. My cousins are some of my favorite people in my life. I have the best friends in the world, and I dare you to challenge me on that one. I'm a sister of the best sorority EVER--huuuge shoutout to all you Tri Delts reading this! DL, BBPB--and I love my sisters way too much to put into words. My pledge class and family are better than yours. Again, I dare you to challenge those statements. I love my life, and I wouldn't change anything about it.
Part two: what exactly is Beachbody? And what's a coach?
...funny you should ask!
Beachbody is, in my humble opinion, the best company in the fitness industry. It started out as a tiny company in 1998, with only one workout video to its name. Today, the company has hundreds of thousands of customers all looking for the healthiest way to get fit in the quickest amount of time possible. Its motto, "Decide, Commit, Succeed," cannot be more true: these are the real three steps to getting fit. Decide to get fit. Commit to a program. Succeed, and get real results. The best part about Beachbody is that it doesn't lie to people; it never tells you that there's no effort involved in fitness. If that's what you've been believing, you've been lied to. Effort is required, but Beachbody's workouts are highly efficient, combining strength training, cardio, and flexibility all in compact workouts. Most of its programs involve workouts that are no more than 40 minutes long--in fact, it even has a 10 minute workout program! Who doesn't have 10 minutes per day to reduce their risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and myriad other health problems? I know I do! And you do too, you know it. Another great part is that it doesn't leave you to your own resources. The message boards are the most unique part of Beachbody; average Joe customers are constantly floating around the hundreds of message board threads, always supporting, advising, and helping their fellow man. The message boards have been credited with tons of people's success because they have felt like they wouldn't have the motivation to do it by themselves; the friends they made on the message boards kept them on track and made sure they didn't give up, and they can help you too!
Where does the coaching come in? When you sign up for a FREE account at TeamBeachbody.com, you are assigned a coach. This person is your go-to for anything Beachbody related--workout program, nutritional assistance, supplements, etc. This person is neither a fitness guru nor a nutritionist, but a regular person, just like you! They have been through Beachbody programs and are extremely knowledegable about the company and are willing to help you in any way possible. If you are already a member of TeamBeachbody and you have not gotten in contact with your coach--E-MAIL HIM/HER!!!! They are not allowed to contact you until you contact them, so do yourself a favor and talk to them ASAP! You won't regret it, promise! Another part of TeamBeachbody is WOWY (Working Out With You), the online virtual gym. When you log your workouts into WOWY in realtime, you have the chance to win up to $1,000 per day!! Where else can you win money simply for working out? I can't think of anywhere.
Join the Beachbody community today and see how it can change your life! Also, visit my own personal website at http://beachbodycoach.com/butterflyx17 . Keep checking back here for updates on my progress!, and thanks for reading!
<3 Jillian
...okay, first things first. Who, exactly, is "I"?
"I" is Jillian. I'm 20 years old and I'm a junior in college. I attend Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, and I'm majoring in psychology. I hope to eventually have a PhD in clinical psychology, and I want to open my own practice one day. I babysit two really cute kids, James (7) and Elizabeth (almost 5), and I also work in their mother's office. I love my family, even though they drive me crazy. My 16-year-old brother is my sanity, which is ironic because I'm pretty sure he's certifiably insane. My cousins are some of my favorite people in my life. I have the best friends in the world, and I dare you to challenge me on that one. I'm a sister of the best sorority EVER--huuuge shoutout to all you Tri Delts reading this! DL, BBPB--and I love my sisters way too much to put into words. My pledge class and family are better than yours. Again, I dare you to challenge those statements. I love my life, and I wouldn't change anything about it.
Part two: what exactly is Beachbody? And what's a coach?
...funny you should ask!
Beachbody is, in my humble opinion, the best company in the fitness industry. It started out as a tiny company in 1998, with only one workout video to its name. Today, the company has hundreds of thousands of customers all looking for the healthiest way to get fit in the quickest amount of time possible. Its motto, "Decide, Commit, Succeed," cannot be more true: these are the real three steps to getting fit. Decide to get fit. Commit to a program. Succeed, and get real results. The best part about Beachbody is that it doesn't lie to people; it never tells you that there's no effort involved in fitness. If that's what you've been believing, you've been lied to. Effort is required, but Beachbody's workouts are highly efficient, combining strength training, cardio, and flexibility all in compact workouts. Most of its programs involve workouts that are no more than 40 minutes long--in fact, it even has a 10 minute workout program! Who doesn't have 10 minutes per day to reduce their risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and myriad other health problems? I know I do! And you do too, you know it. Another great part is that it doesn't leave you to your own resources. The message boards are the most unique part of Beachbody; average Joe customers are constantly floating around the hundreds of message board threads, always supporting, advising, and helping their fellow man. The message boards have been credited with tons of people's success because they have felt like they wouldn't have the motivation to do it by themselves; the friends they made on the message boards kept them on track and made sure they didn't give up, and they can help you too!
Where does the coaching come in? When you sign up for a FREE account at TeamBeachbody.com, you are assigned a coach. This person is your go-to for anything Beachbody related--workout program, nutritional assistance, supplements, etc. This person is neither a fitness guru nor a nutritionist, but a regular person, just like you! They have been through Beachbody programs and are extremely knowledegable about the company and are willing to help you in any way possible. If you are already a member of TeamBeachbody and you have not gotten in contact with your coach--E-MAIL HIM/HER!!!! They are not allowed to contact you until you contact them, so do yourself a favor and talk to them ASAP! You won't regret it, promise! Another part of TeamBeachbody is WOWY (Working Out With You), the online virtual gym. When you log your workouts into WOWY in realtime, you have the chance to win up to $1,000 per day!! Where else can you win money simply for working out? I can't think of anywhere.
Join the Beachbody community today and see how it can change your life! Also, visit my own personal website at http://beachbodycoach.com/butterflyx17 . Keep checking back here for updates on my progress!, and thanks for reading!
<3 Jillian
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