Travel & Exercise - By Morgan

Traveling 

When it comes time for travel, be it for work, pleasure or duty, often times this comes along with a ready made excuse to put your fitness goals on hold...this does not need to be!  Staying on course while away from home, can and is controlled by YOU! With a little planning and dedication you can keep on track whilst on the road.

Workouts

This should be intuitive, but in case you were wondering, BRING YOUR WORKOUTS!  You can either bring your DVD's, rip your DVD's onto your laptop, Ipad or smart phone. You can also download the app version of some workouts. These are available for P90X through the P90X app.  When all else fails, you can  simply take your workout sheets and use your watch to make sure that you maintain a regular pace throughout the workout. You can get your worksheets on our website here.

Equipment

Depending on which program you are working through and which workouts you need to do whilst travelling, the equipment needed will vary, some are easier to manage on the road  than others, but all are do-able and should not be the reason for skipping your workout.  With a little planning you can almost always get your workout in.  Resistance bands take care of just about all of your lifting needs. If you are new to resistance bands, just watch how they do the modified exercises in the programs.  Beachbody makes a good set of  resistance bands. 

Exercises like chest and back require nothing more than somewhere to do pull-ups and push-ups. You can almost always find a beam or bar and some floor space to accomplish this. You can also use the resistance bands for pull-ups but I prefer to use actual body weight for pull-ups when-ever possible. If you want to use bands for pull-ups, you can get the door attachment kit.

Insanity and Asylum are the easiest programs to do on the road, as they don't require any equipment. If you know where you will be staying, find out ahead of time what equipment they have, space available etc... you will find that in most travelling scenarios a lot of what you need will be readily available.

Nutrition

This is where most people fall apart whilst travelling, but with a little planning you don't have to fall into the same trap.  You can always pack the high protein staples such as Shakeology, protein bars, beef/turkey jerky  almonds, PB2 etc. You can take your supplements with you in small containers. No need to take your big tubs of powder, just portion out what you will need for the time on the road into double lock freezer zip-lock bags. Find out whether you will have access to a fridge, microwave, kitchen etc.  Determine where the grocery stores are near where you will be going...and make a conscious effort to bypass the Mcdeath & Triple Bypass King's while on the road.

Come home accomplished

You maybe familiar with the feeling of defeat after busting your butt everyday only to go away for a week, miss all your workouts, and come home feeling that you have put on weight, lost your momentum...which sometimes leads to giving up altogether....don't let that happen to you.  Blast out your workouts while on the road, and come home feeling like a champion. You will be happy you did!!!

www.TeamFitini.com

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You Are What You Eat - By Shannon

Abs are made in the kitchen....it's 80% diet 20% exercise - we all know how important diet and nutrition are when you are trying to lose weight.  But how do you know what works best for you?  Two words - TRIAL and ERROR.  I'm sharing my story to motivate others and share what I've learned to potentially help you in your journey.

I've done my share of fad diets and they didn't work for me. When I started Weight Watchers a few years back, it was the first time I was able to lose weight for the long term.  I counted my points, ate a balanced diet and reached my goal weight.  Weight Watchers taught me that I could eat a slice of pizza or enjoy a glass (or two) of wine, as long as I stayed in or near my point range for the day.  It put me in the mindset of practicing moderation and I continue to apply the healthy practices I learned doing this program.

When I started the Beachbody programs, my main goal was fat loss.  I was in a healthy weight range, but I wanted to look leaner and more toned.  I continued my healthy eating habits, but the weight loss was slow.  I wanted to step it up a notch, so Morgan and I did some research and we started a "fat shredding" regimen.  I can say with 100% certainty that this approach , along with workouts based on muscle confusion, got us in the best shape of our lives.

"Fat Shredder" was really hard when I started.  It takes into account a deficit from your normal calorie intake and specific macro-nutrient percentages.  For those of you that are not familiar with the term macro-nutrients, they are the essential nutrients that the body uses in large quantities, so the main components in your food - protein, carbs and fat.  On the flip side, micro-nutrients are used in smaller amounts and are typically vitamins and minerals.

For Fat Shredder, the macro-nutrient goals are broken into 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fat. The calorie goal was not a problem for me, but 50% protein was tough.  I started by doing the best I could to meet those percentages, but rarely hit the mark.  But, as the weeks went on, it got easier and easier to meet my percentages.  I learned what to eat in order to reach my goals.  Throughout this process, the fat just started to melt off.  It was the first time I was able to push through my plateau and started to see my body change in ways it never did before.  I will also mention, I was never hungry or deprived. 

So how do you get started on this journey?  First, start making healthy food choices - eat veggies, fruit (those lower in sugar are best), lean protein and complex carbohydrates.  In addition, I highly recommend you use My Fitness Pal.  It is a free app that allows you to track everything you put in your mouth.  Some of you are saying ....I know what I'm eating and I eat healthy.  I used to think the same thing, until I started tracking everything.  It was a way to stay accountable and really see how the calories add up.  It is especially important if you decide to do Fat Shredder.  Sure, a banana is healthy, but if you are looking to loose fat, it may not be the best choice since it is higher in sugar and carbs.  My most important piece of advice, DO NOT starve yourself.  You need to feed your body to be healthy and make smart food choices.  When you are eating the right foods, you don't have to deprive yourself.

If you have any questions about this topic, let us know!  We are not experts, but we are happy to share what has worked for us and help you reach your fitness goals.

www.teamfitini.com
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It's is a journey, not a destination - by Shannon

For many, getting "in shape" often tends to be something that is done to get ready for a specific event - the summer so you can look good in that bikini, a wedding so you look like the "perfect" bride or groom or your high school reunion so you can wow those classmates you haven't seen in years. It isn't easy to make a change, so I think motivation is great no matter where it comes from. I've always been healthy-minded, but I am definitely guilty of getting in shape for a specific occasion.  It is actually how I got involved in the Beachbody programs.  But looking back, I now understand how very important it is to adopt a healthy and fit lifestyle for the long run. The goal is not to stop at a specific destination, but continue to enjoy the ride and live a long, healthy and enjoyable life!

Eat like this 80% of the time....

One way I'm able to keep myself in good shape pretty much year round is by practicing moderation. I'm not one of those fitness fanatics that eats plain grilled chicken 3 times a day and won't touch sugar with a 10-foot pole. I've done many of the "fad diets"throughout the years: no carb, low carb, fat free, low cal, cabbage soup (ewe, the worst!) - the list goes on and on.  What did I learn?  They didn't work for me or are not sustainable for the long term.

I like good food and it likes me. I have sugar in my coffee every morning (gasp!) and sometimes a glass of wine (or 2 or 3 depending on the occasion) with dinner. The reason I am able to do this is because I eat healthy about 80% of the time. I allow myself to enjoy things I like, but know when I need to cut back. I know this isn't easy for everyone, it isn't always easy for me either, but keep in mind an indulgence every now and then should not throw your healthy efforts into a full tailspin. The more you deprive yourself, the more you will desire it - so don't be afraid to give in every once in awhile. In fact, I believe it will help you in the long run.  When I adopted a "normal" diet, eating in moderation, the weight finally came off.  I am not an expert and do not claim to be.  It took me many years to find an approach that worked for me, so I would like to share it with others.  I wish I practiced this approach 10 years ago!

This is where the concept behind Team Fitini was born. Our fit lifestyle is all about moderation. We still like to have fun, dine out and take part in life's little indulgences. In our world, it is ok to have that occasional martini, and guess what, you can still be fit and healthy. Our goal is to motivate others to lead a balanced fit life, eat well and exercise with intensity. We would love to help you achieve that!

So you can allow yourself to indulge every now and then.

Our upcoming blog posts will provide more details around our specific eating habits such as macro nutrient percentages, calorie intake and tracking food consumption.  We hope you find this information helpful and are always available to answer any questions you may have.


If you have any questions or comments about this topic, send us an email at TeamFitini@gmail.com or make comments directly on our blog page www.teamfitni.blogspot.com.

For more information on Team Fitini, visit www.teamfitini.com.

Supplementing with Shakes – by Morgan

When it comes to shakes, it can be confusing to know where to start.  Here is an overview of how I supplement with shakes.  It is a guide to help you understand the optimal time to have them and what ingredients you can add.

I usually have one shake in the morning immediately after my workout. If I am having a chocolate Shakeology that day, then I will mix it with my whey protein. If I am having a tropical strawberry, then I will have that separately, because mixing tropical strawberry with chocolate whey tastes a little funky :)  

I then usually have one more protein shake in the evening after dinner. This is the perfect time for having a Casein Protein shake as it is a much slower digesting protein. This keeps your metabolism working hot as you are sleeping. 

I like to stack my supplements together, so I mix my Whey Protein with my Micronized Creatine, L-Glutamine and depending on the Shakeology flavor of the day.

Shakeology – This is how I make sure I am getting all of the nutrients I need, it’s not meant to be a protein shake, although it does have 14g in each serving, but rather a really healthy shake that happens to taste better than all my other supplements (chocolate specifically). Since eating a lean diet, makes eating a lot of veges and fruits difficult, or near impossible (think sugar and carb content), this is the best way to get the nutrients without all of the baggage that comes along with it normally.

Whey Protein - Whey is a fast digesting protein, so it is great in the morning or during the day.  I have cycled through many brands of whey protein powder, some taste ok, some taste really good and some taste like they belong under the sink with the rest of the poisons. My favorite Whey Protein by far is Optimum Nutrition Hydro Whey - Turbo Chocolate. I will add one scoop of this which has 30g of protein.  If i need to boost my protein for the day (I will sometimes use two scoops, but not that often).

Creatine - It helps draw fluid into your muscles which expands the cells and helps them grow.  It doesn't really have any taste at all, and the size of the scoop is so small it makes sense to throw it in with your protein. My favorite brand is bodybuilding.com Micronized Creatine; it's also one of the more affordable ones.  I will add 1 scoop (5g), unless I am trying to load my creatine stores when I use 2 scoops (usually done for the first week when starting up creatine usage).

Casein Protein - This protein is a lot thicker than Whey protein so I usually use about twice as much water they I would with a straight whey shake.  Casein is slower burning, so great to take at night.  My favorite Casein is also made by Optimum Nutrition, the creamy vanilla is pretty good. 

L-Glutamine - L-Glutamine is the most prominent amino acid in the body and is needed for the maintenance of muscle tissue.  This helps in both muscle growth and recovery.  My favorite brand is AST Sports Science Micronized GL3 L-Glutamine.  It also doesn't have any taste, but it does have a bit of a gritty texture to it. I would recommend using a micronized version (the same goes for creatine), it absorbs faster and has less texture to it. 

These are three places that I buy all of my supplements from:

1) For Shakeology - http://myshakeology.com/MrFitini (you log into your account when prompted).

2) For general supplements - www.bodybuilding.com - This is the largest supplement site around, they have a great selection and good prices (much better than any GNC type store). They also have really good customer service.

 3) For general supplements - www.dpsnutrition.net - This site is a little more unrefined, but they still have a good selection and sometimes their prices are slightly better than bodybuilding.com.

 If you have any other questions about supplements or shakes, comment below or send me a message at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

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