Have faith in your weight loss success.

At last, you can combine the power of your faith with your desire to lose weight and get fit. Body Gospel^® is a first-of-its-kind program that includes workouts set to inspirational gospel music, breakthrough new resistance bands, and a complete nutrition plan created by fitness icon Donna Richardson Joyner.

She shows you how to combine this effective program with your faith in God to transform your body and your life. With glorious music guaranteed to get you moving, every workout is a “party with a purpose,” and the results will amaze you.

If you believe, you will succeed!

Body Gospel® is a comprehensive physical and spiritual transformation system.

Whether you have 40, 30, 20, or just 10 minutes, Body Gospel gives you uplifting workouts set to foot-stomping gospel hits. Anyone—from beginner to advanced—can do these workouts and see results.

What’s included:

Body Revival: This calorie-blasting cardio workout lifts your spirit, slims your body, and leaves you feeling energized all day long. 
(34 minutes)

Core Revelation: Lose those love handles and define your abs while slimming and trimming your thighs and backside. 
(21 minutes)

Stretch in the Spirit: Increase your flexibility, reduce stress, and breathe new life into your healthy temple. 
(12 minutes)

Power & Praise: An interval-training workout with Donna’s specially designed resistance bands to help tone and define your muscles while you burn fat. 
(37 minutes)

Gospel Glory: An advanced body-slimming cardio workout to help shrink your hips and thighs, and flatten your tummy. 
(45 minutes)

Strength & Spirit: Alternates between strength and cardio training for maximum fat and calorie burning. Sculpt and tone your body from head to toe.
(54 minutes)

Total Transformation Guide: Includes a 30-day workout calendar, goal-tracking journal, and daily scripture to help strengthen your faith in God and yourself.

Feed Your Body, Feed Your Soul Nutrition Guide:Lose weight and have more energy with Donna’s delicious and filling recipes for meals and snacks. You’ll stay satisfied and on track without feeling like you’re on a diet.

Body Gospel^® Training Cards: Perfect for beginners or people on the move for a quick workout on the go—any time, any place.

Body Gospel® Bands: Pro-grade resistance bands that will help you engage your core and upper and lower body–all at the same time. You’ll sculpt and define long, lean muscles with these breakthrough bands.

24/7 Online Access: Body Gospel online is truly a fellowship of fitness. Join live chats with Donna and other Body Gospel users, plus you’ll get free training tips, nutrition tools, and personal assistance from me – your FREE personal Coach.

You ready to have faith in your weight loss success??  Click below to order yours!!

ORDER HERE

 

Your partner in health & fitness.

Who doesn’t want more energy?

I’m afraid people feel like they need to settle with the lack of energy, because they are killing themselves with a workout.  NOT TRUE!!!  Take care of your body, as you need that energy to successful burn the unwanted fat and build that much needed muscle.  Why?  Because MUSCLE BURNS FAT!!  Sound familiar?

So, are you finding that you are bonking mid-day?  Having a hard time getting up in the morning after a workout the evening before?  Chances are, it’s due to your diet and lack of nutrients.

Not only is your diet a key variable in any successful workout regime, but also the proper supplementation.  We can get an abundant of your energy stimulation from the foods we eat, but chances are – are you really eating the right things?

For those of you that I’ve advised with particular Beachbody at home workout systems or helped guide with proper nutrition*, you know that I will always default to the nutrition guide that came with your workout system, whether it be P90X®, ChaLEAN Extreme®, Insanity™ or Slim in 6®.  These nutrition guides were developed specifically for these programs, so do yourself a favor – and FOLLOW, USE AND ENJOY THEM!!!  The recipes are good and fairly easy, even I can make them!

If you don’t follow a specific workout regime or a nutrition plan, then this could very well be your problem.  If my experience, as a self-professed gym rat, prior to P90X, Insanity and all my new Beachbody favorites, I was at an all time low in the energy department, and I DIDN’T HAVE KIDS AT THE TIME!  Now I have kids and I have MORE energy than I ever have.  Why?  I eat appropriately, according to my workout regime and I have a workout regime that keeps changing.

As many of you may know, I’m in the midst of training for my 2^nd marathon, all while doing the newest Insanity™ workout system.  Well, if Insanity isn’t enough, trying to keep up with my energy to get training runs in each week, I have to be very careful and very particular about what I eat, so I don’t bonk.

Yeah, yeah, many of you are shaking your head saying “Shoot, if you workout that much, you can eat what you want”!  In my case, and the bulk of American’s, not so much.  If I were to eat what I wanted, I surely wouldn’t have the appropriate protein/fat/carbohydrate ratio to properly refuel before and after each workout.   So I need a balance.  That’s where my diet is key here.  This should go for everyone and anyone that is looking for results, good energy and success with their selected workout plan.

Now, as I say diet is the key to most any results, whether it be weight loss or muscle gain, so is proper supplementation.  Do you take a multi-vitamin?  Do you take a Joint Support supplement?  What about your daily nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, etc., etc.?  These are all essential compliments to your diet, in order to sustain good energy to keep you going through the day.

Many know that I’m a big fan of Beachbody’s latest supplement creation, Shakeology®, and won’t go a day without consuming it as either a meal replacement or as a snack.  It’s A) DELICIOUS (check out the recipes) and B)  provides you with over 70 vital vitamins, nutrients, minerals, phytonutrients, prebiotics and a list of other words and terms we would otherwise NEVER use in our vocabulary.  But these are what provide your body with the fuel to keep and stay energized throughout the day, as it fulfills what the body lacks, as we work hard through our fitness program and just day-to-day life.

So, to make a long post even longer, the moral to the story here is proper diet and supplementation (as it’s next to impossible – although not entirely – to get it all from diet) is essential to deliver results and sustain proper energy to avoid that mid-day BONK!

As always, if I can help guide you in a direction towards good health, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me!

To your health & fitness!

* I am not a certified nutritionist or dietitian.  If ever in doubt or have questions about your health and diet, please consult your doctor or a licensed professional.  My advice is based off personal experience and self education and research.  I am also not a certified Personal Trainer…..yet.

Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, “Help! I’m gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?” This is a common phenomena with any new exercise program, Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, you name it! It’s especially common (and temporary) with intense strength training programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or Tony Horton’s P90X.

The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight loss. However, what most personal trainers know and most at-home exercisers do not, is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn’t say weight gain! I’ll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and “unfamiliar” the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to “protect and defend” the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen with fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated in those first couple of weeks become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it… the women! I’m happy to report with absolutely every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than 2 weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

For those of you who are following the ChaLEAN Extreme phase plan, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be “in shock” again. Don’t be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10K’s. I don’t do it very often, maybe 1 or 2x a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race you push much harder. It’s natural for me to be “insanely” sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it’s still a bummer. We’re all human and hard work should mean “results”. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting our selves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!!

When to be concerned:
If you experience a significant weight gain (exceeding 5 pounds) which does not begin to decrease rapidly after the second week, guess what it is??? I’ll give you one hint… you put it in your mouth and chew it. You know it! You’re food (or calorie laden beverages). Newsflash friends.. exercise doesn’t make you gain weight. Consuming more food than you burn makes you gain weight!

So if after two weeks you are not losing weight, have gained weight that’s not coming off, it’s time to take a close and honest look at your food intake. It’s time to find out what your burning in calories each day. Have your RMR or BMR tested. This can be done for less than $50 and the information is invaluable. It takes out the guess work. Google “hydrostatic body fat testing _______ ” and insert the name of the big city you’re closest too. Companies that do HBFT also do BMR testing. Knowledge is king.

I’m gaining weight, but I’m sure it’s muscle:
Possibly, but if you’re following ChaLEAN Extreme correctly, you should be losing fat and gaining muscle and the fat loss should be much more substantial than the rate at which you can physically put on muscle. This is even true for the guys. Of the 70 plus people in my test group, every single one of them lost body fat and gained muscle and not one of them gained weight. I believe the average weight loss after 4 months was 28 pounds with many people losing 40 plus pounds. Even the men, who as you can see put on a lot of muscle, were seeing huge drops in the scale. We tested their muscle composition at the beginning and at the end and 100% of the participants maintained or gained muscle while achieving substantial weight loss. That’s the key to keeping weight off long term, i.e. muscle. Muscle burns fat. But you’ve heard me say that before.

Moral of the story:
Be patient young grass hoper. You’ll be lean and mean in no time!

This is one of the most useful articles I have come across that makes sense and enlightens one, as they prepare for their new program or are in the midst of it.  Just having an understanding and a reason why we experience this temporary weight gain, makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

I hope you enjoyed this article and get the mileage that I, and many others have, out of it.  Thanks Chalene!

Let’s start with the basics:

1.            What’s your current level of fitness activity?

A.  Very limited, maybe a short walk here and there. (May also have some health issues that inhibit workout activity – high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, Type 2 Diabetes, heart condition, etc).

B.  My activity is sporadic, some weeks are better than others.

C.  I’m fairly active and hit the gym as much as 3 x’s a week, but not seeing results.

D.  I’m VERY active and strong. (i.e.: I run quite a bit, do cross training, boot camps).

2.            What are your fitness goals?

A.   To find a program with a consistent level of lower impact activity.

B.   To find a program that will keep me active and is active.

C.   I want to see results, but I’m not a beginner and I’m not advanced

D.  I want something higher impact and that incorporates weight training & cardio.

3.          What is your time commitment to reaching your goals?

A.  I can commit to about 45-60 minutes, 2-3 days a week.

B.  I can commit to about 30-60 minutes, 3-4 days a week.

C.  I can commit to about 45-60 minutes, 4-5 days a week.

D.  I can commit to about 45-75 minutes, 5-6 days a week.

Ok, so these are just 3 top questions that I generally ask anyone interested in getting started with a workout program, but not really knowing what is the best one for them.

Often times, people want to immediately start with P90X, when they are NO condition to begin with a program that is so advanced.  The beauty of the selection of Beachbody programs, is that there is something for EVERYONE, and not every program will be suited for all…but definitely challenges to work towards.

So here’s a breakdown of what workout program would work best based off these category of questions (scroll down to bottom of the page to review the short video clip showcasing each product and its brief description):

If you answered mostly A’s:

A few recommended programs would be: Slim in 6® Rapid Results, Kathy Smith’s Project: You! Type 2®, Total Body Solution™ or Tony and the Folks® (for active adults 55+)

If you answered mostly B’s:

A few recommended programs would be: Slim in 6® Rapid Results, 10-Minute Trainer®, Power 90® or Yoga Booty Ballet®

If you answered mostly C’s:

A few recommended programs would be: Turbo Jams®, Hip Hop Abs®, Rockin’ Body®, 10-Minute Trainer® or Power 90®.

If you answered mostly D’s:

A few recommended programs would be: P90X®, Tony Horton’s One-on One Series, ChaLEAN Extreme® or Insanity®

Here are the descriptions of each suggested program above:

SLIM IN 6® Rapid Results, by Debbie Siebers

The original 6-week miracle makeover combines daily cardio with light resistance to burn fat fast. Fitness expert Debbie Siebers developed Slim in 6® through a combination of low impact cardiovascular and weight-bearing exercises collectively called Slim Training®. This three-phase, 6-week slimming program helps shed pounds quickly in a healthy manner, while jump-starting the body onto the path of long-term health and fitness.

Kathy Smith’s Project: YOU! Type 2™, by Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith’s Project: YOU! Type 2™ is a step-by-step guide to creating a healthy lifestyle for people with type 2 diabetes and anyone who wants to reduce his or her chance of getting diabetes. Developed in conjunction with doctors, certified diabetes educators, and the American Diabetes Association, this is a comprehensive program to take control of your health and your life!  This 12-week workout system comes with a cookbook, fitness & food journal, workout calendar, workout guide and a wallet to house the 8 workouts.  For more detailed information, click here to review the product page.

Total Body Solution™, by Debbie Siebers & Chad Waterbury

If minor or major post-exercise soreness has sidetracked your workout program, this program will help you get back on track. Created by Debbie Siebers and neurophysiologist Chad Waterbury, Total Body Solution™ is an incredible preventative and rehabilitative series of drills to help you recover without pain pills or chiropractic visits. Even if you’re not suffering from pain, you can use Total Body Solution as part of your warm-up to help prevent muscle strains and pains before they happen. Take control of joint and muscle health today so you can maintain your workout routine—and be comfortable doing it.

Tony and the Folks! by Tony Horton

It’s never too late to get fit!  Now there’s a great way for anyone age 55 and up, with the help of Tony Horton himself!  A fun half hour of fitness for anyone who wants to ease into a new exercise program and get results. You’ll get the heart pumping and blood flowing with each low-impact exercise presented in this program.  In just over 30 minutes, Tony & the Folks! will help you: increase energy, reduce joint stiffness, improve flexibility, strength & balance.  All the moves in this program offer alternate positions to increase or decrease the intensity. It’s truly one of the most entertaining ways to achieve and sustain a healthy lifestyle for someone new to fitness.

10-Minute Trainer®, by Tony Horton

No matter how busy you are, you can always find the time to squeeze in a 10-minute workouts.  With these breakthrough workouts and his easy-to-follow eating plan, you’ll lose weight, get toned, and have plenty of time left over!  Tony’s breakthrough Super Stacking Technique™ using resistance bands, combines the most effective moves I know into each 10-minute workout. Instead of starting with cardio, then working different body parts one at a time, he stacks them to work everything at the same time—in just 10 minutes! It’s multitasking for your muscles!

Power 90®, by Tony Horton

Total body transformation in just 90 days!!  Fat burning and total-body sculpting focused on abs, thighs, and upper body.   This in-home boot camp for dramatic body transformation uses Tony’s Sectional Progression™ technique, which gives you an effective workout in as little as 30 minutes each day.  The program comes with 4 workouts that are progressive to maximize your results and keep you active.  Plus, get a program guide, food plan and a few other special gifts thrown in for fun.  If that’s not enough, with Tony’s Fat Burning Express plan, you can lose up to 10 lbs. and 10 inches in your first 6 days!

Yoga Booty Ballet®, by Gillian Marloth & Teigh McDonough

Hollywood’s fun fitness secret combines yoga, dance, and body sculpting to blast calories and target your abs, thighs, and booty. Yoga Booty Ballet® is a dynamic fusion of yoga, booty sculpting, and dance that will make you feel strong, confident, and beautiful! You could see a dramatic difference in your body after just 2 weeks.

Turbo Jams®, by Chalene Johnson

Kickboxing and body-sculpting workouts set to the hottest dance music.  Get ready to rock your workout!  Chalene packs each workout with calorie-blasting kickboxing, body sculpting, and the hottest dance music. The “Elite 11″ signature moves are proven to burn fat and give you a sleek, sexy body and ripped, rock-hard abs.

Hip Hop Abs®, by Shaun T

Dance your way to hot, sexy abs and burn the fat off your entire body with Shaun T’s fun, exciting dance program! Using Shaun’s revolutionary Absolute Engagement™ technique, you’ll “Tilt, Tuck, & Tighten” your way to 6-pack abs without doing a single sit-up or crunch.

Rockin’ Body®, by Shaun T

Get a hot new Rockin’ Body with Shaun T’s high-octane dance party that will have you sweating off the pounds to all your favorite dance-floor hits!

P90X® Extreme Training System, by Tony Horton

P90X is not for beginners.  Designed by celebrity fitness trainer Tony Horton, P90X gets you absolutely ripped in 90 days. Through 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts, a comprehensive 3-phase nutrition plan, a detailed fitness guide and a calendar to track your progress, the P90X program will define muscles you’ve got and develop muscles you never knew you had. In just an hour a day, it will physically and mentally transform people from being in good shape to being outstanding athletes.  By way of Tony’s advanced training method, dubbed “Muscle Confusion”, your body or your mind, won’t get tired of the workouts, as they switch every 30 days.

Tony Horton’s One-on-One Series

Have you hit a muscle building plateau? Break through the plateau with celebrity trainer Tony Horton’s workout series Tony One-On-One. Designed to compliment or coordinate with his P90X® series, Tony’s constantly introducing new workouts will keep your muscles “confused.”  With this workout series your muscles are forced to adapt to new moves all the time, so they keep growing. Tony’s vastly successful concept of muscle confusion will get you the results you are looking for. Work out with Tony in his own gym, mano a mano. You will love to see Tony sweat and suffer, just like you. It’s like working out with a buddy!

ChaLEAN Extreme®, by Chalene Johnson

Get ready to burn fat and get lean with ChaLEAN Extreme™!  It’s a fact – the more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn. You can burn up to 60% of your body fat in just 3 months and see visible results every 30 days—GUARANTEED!  MUSCLE BURNS FAT™! This proven circuit training technique shifts your fat-burning focus from cardio to resistance training. You’ll be lifting heavy weights in 3 phases to ignite your metabolism and burn fat long after your workout—even while you sleep!  Click here for the product sheet.

Insanity™ 60-Day Total Body Conditioning System, by Shaun T

Transform your body in 60 days with the most intense workout program ever put on DVD. Shaun T will push you past your limits to get the hardest body you’ve ever had.  The secret to these mind-blowing results: MAX Interval Training. Shaun T took traditional interval training and flipped it on its head—you perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest. Each workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your MAX. The results: burn up to 1,000 calories an hour and get the most insane body in only 60 days.

You can view all these products and many more of the Beachbody workout systems at my Team Beachbody Store.  There is something for everyone and maybe a program that I have one that’s NOT listed here, that’s just right for you.  Go ahead, ask me to help you get started with your next fitness challenge.  And why not?  I’ll do a FREE fitness and nutrition analysis.  Who doesn’t like free?

Back in January, when a girlfriend, Adriana, and I made the commitment to run the full Seattle Rock N’ Roll Marathon, I had no idea the daunting task ahead of us.  I was ready to take on the challenge, but was not sure if I could actually pound the pavement for 26.2 miles.  I mean, that’s 26.2 miles!!!  Not a 5k, 8k or 10k, but 26.2 miles.  WOW.  But, being the competitive individual that I tend to be, I wasn’t going to let that amount of mileage bring fear and doubt into my abilities.  Just was not going to happen. 

So, with that said, how was I going to prepare for it?  Many of my friends and family asked me daily, “how are you preparing for this race?”  There was a lot of preparation involved.  Not only physical, but mental.  You have to get into that mental space to be able to prepare for such a long journey.   So, I had to have a little ‘heart-to-heart’ with myself, so I knew what was expected. 

It first started with reviewing my running schedule, as suggested and recommended by a 2-time finisher of the Seattle Marathon, and good friend of mine, Janna Fain, to follow.  She had trained vigorously with Chuckit running group.  In appreciating her advice and guidance, we quickly downloaded the schedule, posted it on my fridge and was time to get to it.  Also, I was fortunate to have met my running Coach, and now, Team Beachbody Coach, Tendi Remy, who helped me get prepared with proper nutrition and pre-event training. 

Another piece to incorporate into my training was my P90X routine.  I was obsessed and addicted to it, so in getting on the Team Beachbody message boards early on, I had learned that many race enthusiasts, had kept up with P90X to train for their respective races – whether it be a Marathon, Ironman, bike race or swimming.  PERFECT!  I was just coming off my last 90- day program of ChaLEAN Extreme, so was chomping at the bit to get back to P90X.  This was perfect timing.  So, just as I was gearing up for my longer runs, I was getting back onto my faithful 90-day regime. 

There are some that caution doing strength training while training for a race like a marathon, which I could never understand.  How could strengthening your upper & lower body and abs/core, hinder your stamina for a race??  I don’t think I could’ve made it through race day without the endurance I built from workouts such as Plyometrics (aka “jump training”), Legs & Back or the echoing remnants of Tony Horton’s famous “tips of the day”.  One of my favorites has to be “don’t smash your face” – just brilliant!  I mean, that just covers all things across the board, wouldn’t you say?  P90X’s regimented routine of muscle confusion not only can get you in great shape, but prepare you for the mental and physical hardship that one experiences in preparation for any kind of race.  A very well rounded program in any regard. 

So on with the running.   My running buddy, Adriana, and I hit the pavement every weekend and followed that schedule to a “T”.  Only until, an unforeseen back injury and elbow surgery would take my running buddy and dear friend out of the race and training, all together.  What a blow that was!  More so to her, of course, but I was crushed, as I so looked forward to our weekly run down of what the kids were up to, how life happens and get a little adult conversation in.  It was our short escape from a busy life of being Mom’s.  Sorry from then on, I had to carry the torch for us both.  I was determined. 

Going forward, I had to yet again, mentally prepare myself for the longer runs and know I was mostly doing them on my own…especially the daunting 20 mile one!!!  I’ve always felt I was a pretty strong runner, but then again, my longest distance may have been 8 miles or so, and that was usually with crowds of people cheering you on.  But, as I started to log my longer runs, I couldn’t believe the energy and stamina I had felt.  Could this been a results of P90X?  You betcha!!   

So, in response to my friends, family and WOWY workout buddies, I was confident in saying that P90X was my crutch, to get me mentally and physically prepared for the race – AND IT DID!!  I beat my goal of 4 hours and 30 mins and completed the race in just 4 hours!! 

I’m already geared up for the next race, although think I’ll shoot for a ½ marathon instead.  Lake Chelan’s Shore to Shore in September.  Any takers?? 

Oh, and my husband is going to begin training for his very first ½ marathon!  Why??  Well, it started out with his sister doubting that he could do it, so that triggered his competitive edge to accomplish it.   Go hun!!!!  I’m rooting for you and know that you can do it!  P90X, baby!  BRING IT!

One final note, the support and encouragement I received from everyone throughout my training was overwhelming.  I truly took each inspiration word, phrase, thought and gesture with me each step of the way.  I’d like to thank everyone that had faith in me that I could do it!  The power of positive thinking! 

 I mean, how can one measly shake be chalked full the proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutritents, prebiotics and digestive enzymes, one needs per day to be healthy?  I don’t think I even knew what ½ of those terms really meant, let alone consumed them on a regular basis.  Aren’t we suppose to get that from “real” food?  Of course we are, but like many, it’s rare that I can stomach enough of the nutritional value in one day to achieve this (10 some cups of raw food), let alone find the time and expense to prepare it.  But, I know it’s an essential part of eating and living healthy. 

 So as a Beachbody® Coach, I knew that this looming product dubbed to be the “healthiest meal of the day” was moments from being launched.  What was all the buzz about??  We were about to find out at the 2^nd Annual Dream Extreme Beachbody® Coaches Summit (check out the gallery photos).  They basically laid out the red carpet for the launch of this product, and rightly so.  After experiencing it for my very first time, I could see the reason behind Carl Daikeler’s, CEO to Beachbody®, excitement.  He, and many others, had worked DAMN hard on concocting the perfect ingredients to allow for this to be, truly, the healthiest meal of the day. 

Carl has many things in common with us Coaches, the first obvious one being that we are all passionate about fitness and helping others get healthy, and, second, that most of us care not to eat our vegetables, let alone the amount required to get a fraction of what Shakeology® offers, for our daily nutritional value. After many long hours and trips to various countries to capture the finest ingredients, he was finally ready to allow his trusted front line, sample it before it was released to the rest of the Team Beachbody® community and general public.

It was phenomenal.  There are two flavors to Shakeology: Greenberry and Chocolate.  Both are packed with a punch that will instantly give you the gratification of a full meal and immediate spike in natural energy.  Many of us turn to coffee to get our energy, buy by starting the day off with a blended shake, has given me enough energy to keep up with my two busy kids. 

Ok, much hype and edification to Shakeology®, so here’s the scoop on it:

How does it work??

A daily shake helps your body gently eliminate toxins more efficiently while allowing for better absorption of the essential nutrients you need. A proprietary blend of digestive enzymes and prebiotics helps your body progressively eliminate the toxins that build up over time from eating today’s highly processed foods.

At the same time, whole-food ingredients deliver the essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to curb cravings, allowing your body to shed stored fat while the more than 20 different antioxidants and phytonutrients help reduce free radical damage that can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke.

What is in it?

More than 70 different ingredients chosen from around the world for their potency and bioavailability (the ability to deliver the nutrients your body needs). Here are the key nutrient groups that these ingredients deliver:*

• Protein and Essential Amino Acids to help build long, lean muscles and reduce food cravings
• Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption
• Antioxidants and Phytonutrients to help counteract free radical damage that can lead to degenerative diseases
• Vitamins and Minerals your body needs to function for optimal health

TESTIMONIALS (Independent Study 90-day study, where participants replaced one meal a day with Shakeology®)*

Here’s what they said:

• “I felt full and didn’t struggle with hunger.”
• “I felt a better sustained energy throughout the day.”
• “I have tons of energy. I feel so healthy!”
• “I replaced all my vitamin supplements. I felt healthy and energized.”
• “I have more energy, less cravings, more endurance, and feel more youthful.”
• “I have tried a lot of protein shakes and meal-replacement-type drinks, and Shakeology is the best tasting of them all. I mix it with a bit of soy milk and ice, and it tastes like an ice cream shake!”

*Results may vary.

Source: Shakeology®

So, still always a skeptic, I did my homework and have been really pleased with the results I’ve experienced from replacing my breakfast with either the Greenberry or Chocolate flavor Shakeology®.  My husband and I have them both, and as he’s more partial to Chocoloate, I love them both!  Throw in a ½ a banana and scoop of peanut butter, and tastes more like a guilty pleasure!  Check out all the recipes other customers and coaches have share: Shakeology® Recipes.  I’ve personally recognized more energy, endurance for my marathon training, faster nail and hair growth, reduced cravings and more clarity in my days. 

See for yourself what all the hype is about.  Visit www.shakeology.com to read the testimonials and science behind this breakthrough meal replacement.  Also, feel free to email me or check it out on my website: www.choose2befit.com.

Taryn Perry

taryn@choose2befit.com

Now, back to this article. Katheranne, which made her debut on her Mom’s website, now is a permanent fixture and has her very own Kat’s Korner, editorial page. She made an astonishing point that “….the “Golden Arches” are now more recognized than the Christian cross….” Um, what?? Now, that’s frightening.

With well over 2 billion dollars (likely more now, with celeb endorsements, etc) in paid adversiting EACH YEAR, McDonald’s continues to feed the minds of our impressionable future, that a quick, hardy and affordable dollar menu is the answer to their daily meal plan. Mind you, over the years, they have successful introduced more “nutritional options”, but what kid is going to select their Asian Chicken Salad, when they can get a Happy Value Meal for the same price…and it comes with a toy! Go figure.

Clearly, education comes from the parents. We can’t rely on the television and media publications to educate our children on proper nutrition. BUT, it would be nice if they would help reinforce what parents should be teaching their children. After all, if we can instill in our children, proper eating habits, we could actually see our rising trends in childhood obesity, begin to plummet. Imagine that? It could happen….it just starts with the parents.

Recognizing I’ve gone off my tangent here, I want to leave you with Katheranne’s outstanding article to help you hold a little faith, that by proper education from the parents, our children do have a chance at making good nutritional choices. Just take Kat’s parents as an example. GREAT JOB, Mom & Dad!!

View Kat’s Korner – THE EVIL EMPIRE OF MCDONALD’S - and be blown away by such charasmatic writing.

Here’s to the future of our children, living long and healthy lifestyles!

Taryn
www.choose2befit.com

Challenge # 4 is……

Take more time to STRETCH before and after workouts.

I’ve known always that this is the key to avoiding injury, increase flexibilty and mobility, but it’s usually the one part in my exercise routine that gets cut short…and that needs to STOP. I do warm up and cool down for roughly 2-3 minutes before each workout, which in asking some trainers, is appropriate. BUT, I really would like to work on more flexibilty, minimize any opportunity for injury and enhance my mobility.

I’m currently training for my 1st marathon (YAH! Go me!) and much of that involved endurance and taking appropriate measure to avoid injury. This is where STRETCHING can be key.

So as Tony Horton reiterates for us in the video above: “Flexibity is the Fountain of Youth”. I’m going to give my body the best reward and enhance its durability – thanks Tony!

Join me in this challenge for now and your future!

Taryn Perry

http://www.choose2befit.com/

As we met on Twitter, we began “tweeting” about renowned non-profit organizations and their involvement in the fitness and nutrition arena, to help make a difference in our youths and their future. One of the topics we began discussing was Beachbody’s recent alliance with the American Diabetes Association® and the efforts to help combat the effects of type 2 diabetes. As a Beachbody Coach, this has been an incredible time to be apart of the business, in the fact that not only do we aspire to make a difference in those that need to lose weight and get healthy, but those that are suffering a disease that can be managed by proper nutrition and exercise.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:

• Right away, your cells may be starved for energy.
• Over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.

Source: ADA website.

Throughout much research, it’s been documented that type 2 diabetes can be managed through proper diet and nutrition as by:

• improving your body’s use of insulin
• reducing body fat
• increasing muscle strength and bone density
• lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol
• improving blood circulation
• increasing energy levels, and
• reducing stress

…these all have a direct association with combating type 2 diabetes.

Anyway, in speaking earlier to what an incredible organization Beachbody is to work with, it almost seems historical to be a part of a business that has partnered with an organization like the ADA, to join efforts in helping ward off a disease that touches so many. Together with nutritionists, doctors and certified diabetic educators, in October 2008, Beachbody® launched Kathy Smith’s Project YOU!: Type 2™, in alliance with the American Diabetes Association®. It’s the first all-in-one solution to help manage diabetes, reduce your risk for diabetes complications, and get you back in control of your life!

The program comes complete with a 12 week workout guide, workout wallet with CD’s and DVD’s, Workout Calendar, cookbook, mix and match meal cards, program guides and 12-week food & fitness journal, a Beachbody coach and online support. (**It is important to note that proceeds from the sale of this product support American Diabetes Association’s mission: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of people with diabetes.

So, if you, or anyone you know is pre-diabetic, suffers from Type 2 diabetes, do them the great reward of introducing them to Kathy Smith’s Project You!: Type 2™ and get them on the road to recovery and back to living a healthy and fruitful live.

Want to get involved in this phenomenon and help change the lives of others? Become a Coach! I’ll show you how and help you grow your business beyond your wildest dreams. Join the Ultimate Beachbody® Revolution.