Simple Nutrition Tips (#Simple Sunday)

When I speak to people about their health and fitness challenges, more often than not their biggest obstacle is diet and nutrition.  It can be hard to eat right, especially if you don't know where to start or if you think you are eating right and not seeing results.  I also have a lot of people ask me how they can lean out in their mid-section.  Again, this points to your diet.  Here are some simple tips to keep you on track with your diet, and allow you to see results.

1. Track Your Food: Typically we eat more than we realize.  Little things that you may not think much about can pack on the calories.  Use an app like My Fitness Pal to get a handle on what you are consuming, in what macro-nutrient percentages (protein/carbs/fat) and how it affects your body.  Feel free to reach out and I can share calculations provided by Beachbody that will help you determine how many calories you should eat and the macro-nutrient percentages you should aim for.
2. Eat the Right Foods: Start by making smart food choices.  Eat veggies, lean or low-fat protein, fruit (those lower in sugar are best) and complex carbohydrates.  Stick with real whole foods, and avoid processed foods.  Check out this blog post for my sample grocery list.
3. Follow the 80/20 Rule: If you eat right 80% of the time, you will be in a good place.  I believe in moderation, and by allowing a little flexibility 20% of the time, I am able to stay on track for the long term.  When you totally deprive yourself, you are more likely to fall of the wagon and end up in a total feeding frenzy.  Pick your indulgent meals, and then get back on track with your normal healthy eating.  One cookie or dinner out at a restaurant isn't going to ruin all your efforts.  On the other hand, too much of it will. It is all about finding the balance that works for you.  After all, you are in this for the long haul!

If you have any questions about this topic, let me know!  I am not a nutritionist, but I'm happy to share what has worked for me. I want to help you reach your fitness goals!

If you want to join Team Fitini for free and have me as your personal coach, you can do it here:
https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=204731

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Simple ways to stick with your workout routine (#SimpleSunday) – By Shannon

Deciding to workout is one thing, but actually sticking to it and making it a daily routine is another.  Here are some simple ways to make health and fitness part of your life for the long haul.

Find a workout that you love!  There are endless workouts out there, so find one you really enjoy doing. Once your workout becomes a chore, it will be very hard to find the motivation to keep going.  For example, I don’t really like running very much.  If I decided to run every day as my workout, and do nothing else, I would last about two weeks and then be done with it.  On the other hand, I really like circuit training mixed with weight training – it keeps it interesting for me.  Be honest with yourself about what you like to do, mix it up and try different things.

Find a workout that fits in your life!  If you have a jam-packed schedule, a 2 hour a day workout will likely not work well for you.  And if you do try and squeeze it in, the effort will probably not last long.  There are SO many workouts out there, so find one that works for you.  Can’t seem to get yourself to the gym?  Try an at home workout.  Don’t have a lot of time?  Find a condensed workout that produces great results in a shorter period of time.  I recently started doing Focus T25, and it fits perfectly into my life.  It is only 25 minutes a day/5 days a week, and I can do it in the privacy of my own home.  I never have an excuse not to do it! 

Don’t fixate on the number on the scale!  You are not defined by a number, so stop stressing over it!!  As you lose fat, gain muscle and retain water, that number can fluctuate.  If you are focus only on that, it will do nothing but frustrate you.  Take progress photos and measurements, it will let you better understand the changes that are happening in your body.  As you keep making progress, you can reflect on the pictures of your “old self” and motivate yourself to keep pushing forward.

Eat Clean!  You’ve heard it before, abs are made in the kitchen.  Don’t sabotage your workout efforts by eating a crappy diet.  I strongly suggest you track your food in My Fitness Pal.  It is a great way to understand exactly what you are eating and how it breaks down (macronutrients).  Different macronutrient percentages (protein, carbs, fat) will produce different results – so if you get the right mix you will see results faster.  I’m a strong believer in moderation.  If you eat clean 80% of the time, you have a little more flexibility with the other 20%.  I workout hard and eat pretty clean during the week and then indulge a little more on the weekends. If you see the progress of your hard work, you are much more likely to stick with it!

If you have any questions, please email me at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

If you want to join Team Fitini for free and have me as your personal coach, you can do it here: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=204731

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Simple things to maximize your health and fitness program (#SimpleSunday) – By Shannon

Today’s Simple Sunday (#SimpleSunday) post is focusing on simple things you can do to maximize your health and fitness program.  Are you busting your rump working out and not seeing the results you were hoping for?  Then maybe one of these factors is coming into play.

• Get enough sleep:  I don’t know about you, but sometimes it is hard to get a full night’s sleep.  Too   According to Harvard University, chronic sleep loss can contribute to weight gain, high blood pressure and affect your immune system.  In order to be your best, you need to make sure you are getting around 7-8 hours of sleep.  Check out Health Magazine’s suggestions on how to get a better sleep here.
• Hydrate yourself: Drinking water is important for everyone, but even more so for people with a physical lifestyle.  According to the Mayo Clinic, "the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate needs adequate intake of 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages per day for men and 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) for women." Are you looking for an easy way to track your water intake?  I found this great water drinking app called iDrated. Enter your water consumption and it will let you know when you are fully hydrated.  
• Reduce your sugar intake: Part of a healthy diet includes keeping your sugar to a minimum.  My tips – cut out the soda (and no, don’t switch to diet), don’t eat unnecessary sugars and try to eat fruit that is lower in sugar content.  If you saw my last blog post, I spoke about refined and unrefined carbs.  Sugars fall into this category.  You want to consume more unrefined carbs and keep the refined (or processed) carbs to a minimum.  Refined carbs tend to offer little nutritional value, digest quickly and convert into gluclose.  White sugar is an example of a refined carb.  Honey and turbinado sugar are unrefined carbs.  I use both honey and Sugar in the Raw, but in small portions.  Fruits are also contain unrefined carbs.  I tend to stick to those fruits with a lower sugar content – think berries, apples, watermelon, etc.  Click here for an overview of the sugar content in fruit.
• Eat the right foods:  This is similar to the prior entry, but it is important enough to call out.  If you are still trying to figure out your diet, PLEASE get on My FitnessPal.  You can track everything you eat and break it down into the macro and micro nutrient percentages.  This will help you stay on track and aim for a daily target.
• Breathe properly while doing exercises:  Don’t hold your breath when you work out!  Click here for some great breathing tips from Health Magazine for various types of activities.

I hope these tips help you think about ways you can propel your health and fitness to the next level!  Tune in next Sunday for more simple solutions to become more healthy and fit.

If you have any questions, please contact me at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

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Disclosure: I am not a nutritionist, dietitian or doctor.  I’m writing about what has worked for me and hopefully it will help you during your journey to become more healthy and fit.  It is suggested that you speak with your physician before starting a new diet or workout program.

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!!!

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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.

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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.