Making yourself a priority

So many of us are guilty of this. We make everyone and everything else a priority over ourselves. If you're a mom, dad, husband, wife, friend, co-worker ect. it happens at some point in your day where you push yourself aside so you can do something for somebody else. And that's OK, to an extent.

That is probably the biggest excuse that I hear from people and why they can't work out, because the do not have the time to do so. Well guess what? YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE TIME! I know, I know. I am just as guilty of this. If you ask my friends and family, I am the epitome of a "people pleas er" which means I care WAY TOO MUCH about what others think of me sometimes. It is a virtue and a fault all bundled together.

I have realized that it is not just about working out to look killer in my new bikini. It is about my overall health and well being so I can be a better friend, co-worker, daughter ect. Be honest, when you get done with that workout that you pushed through even when you didn't want to do it in the first place, don't you just feel kick ass? Like you can now take on the world? That is because working out releases those feel good endorphins that makes you such a happier and pleasant person to be around! I NEVER regret doing a workout when I am finished. I do feel accomplished, pat myself on the back for finishing and am now more focused to take on the rest of the chores and work I have left to do for the day.

I have said this before and I will say it again. It is TIME for YOU to do something for yourself! DO NOT FEEL BAD for taking that 30-60 minutes to do something for you that will benefit your health, life and the people around you!

NO MORE EXCUSES!

3 "SIX PACK" myths that may be holding you back

How many times have you spent the last half of your workout on the special ab machine at the gym or doing countless sit-ups only to see no results? You’ve done every ab workout that you’ve heard of, all to no avail and getting that ever elusive six pack that you’ve been wanting to show off in your new swim suit? Here are 3 “Six pack” myths that may be holding you back.

Myth 1.You need to do a lot of ab exercises. The reason this is a myth is because you can get away with doing a relatively few ab exercises and still see massive results. My abdominal exercises at the most last 25 minutes (but most lasting around 15 minutes) and I see tremendous results.

Myth 2. You need to do ab exercises everyday. False. Abs do not need to be worked any more than any other part of the body. You don’t do chest and back exercises everyday do you? You don’t do quad and hamstring exercises everyday do you? Then you shouldn’t do ab exercises everyday either---it results in overtraining. Your muscles (even your abs) need time to recuperate and grow. The most I train my abs is three days a week after my strength training workouts.

Myth 3. The ab crunch is still the best ab exercise. The reason this is false is because there are so many other exercises out there that can do the job! I’ve done complete ab workouts that don’t include a single crunch---it’s all done either standing up or sitting on a mat---and it works your abs like crazy.

Also not in this article but another point that should be mentioned is your NUTRITION! If you are not eating right, putting the right fuel into your body, it doesn't matter how hard you train, you WILL NOT get the results that you want.

Bottom line, nutrition and whatever you do for your work out goes hand in hand!

Article from :http://www.fitness.com/

A joke today

10 good reasons why women should stay away from weights! (can you hear the sarcasm?)

1. You might break a nail.
2. You could even bruise a male ego or two.
3. You’ll eat properly and still be able to lose fat. Work of the devil!
4. You’ll look more like an athlete and less like a runway model. Skeletal is sexy,
right?
5. You’ll be able to lift heavy things without asking a man for help, thus upsetting
the balance of the universe.
6. You will be seen in public without high heels.
7. You’ll grunt, sweat and feel sore. So unladylike!
8. You’ll be proud of your pert bum instead of being self conscious about it like a
normal woman.
9. You’ll be more active and confident instead of sitting around looking pretty.
What are you, some kind of feminist?
10. You’ll be stronger, leaner and sexier – and we all know where that can lead

For all the ladies out there who don't lift weights because they don't want to bulk up, I'll let you in on a secret- YOU CAN'T BULK UP! Want to know the reason why? Because we are not men! We do not have the testosterone levels that men do. What happens when a woman lifts weights is that she gets toned and fit and will lose fat and gain muscle. The more muscle you gain, the more your metabolism speeds up. The more your metabolism speeds up, the more you get to eat!! What a concept!!! You eat more, and tone up and look fabulous. Your muscles need fuel to work the way you need them to, this is why a healthy nutrition plan is so important.
Notice I didn't say diet. Diets don't work, but a healthy lifestyle does!

My food intake and what works for me

People always make comments to me about my habits. I always hear "So do you just starve yourself all day?" My response is always a laugh and "Nope, I eat every 2-3 hours actually!"
Here is a basic day of what I eat and what has been working for me:

Breakfast: Greek non fat or light PLAIN yogurt, 1 scoop Kashi brand protein cereal, handful or fruit and maybe a packet of splenda  WATER or egg whites scambled with salsa and no sugar oatmeal
Mid morning snack: Low fat cheese stick, whole grain crackers and fruit/veggies/almonds WATER
Lunch: Shakeology shake blended with ice, non fat milk, fruit (banana if chocolate or berries for greenberry) WATER
Mid afternoon snack: Low fat cheese stick and apple WATER
Dinner: Lean protein and veggies WATER NO CARBS AT DINNER!
After dinner: If I am training hard, I will usually throw in another straight protein shake before bed

Everyone trains differently but I know I work harder and eat cleaner if I have something to look forward to.This is why I give myself one cheat day a week, usually Sundays.

Now a cheat day still has some limitations. I will allow myself what I want to eat but I will still do portion control. If I want pizza, I have pizza but I don't eat a whole one! I still say NO to soda unless its diet and I just need that taste. Speaking of diet soda's, I consider this a treat! Drinking diet soda over regular soda is obviously the healthier option if you have to have soda but keep in mind, they are still not good for you. They have so much acid and studies have showed that people that drink diet soda often actually comsume more calories when they eat! Something about the carbonation makes you hungrier, but still, who would have thought?? SO DRINK MORE WATER!!!

Basically, limiting the portion size still keeps you accountable and in the right state of mind but allows you to indulge and treat yourself! And by eating so clean during the week, you start to find yourself not even really cheating on your cheat day. Not because you are limiting yourself but because your tastes change and you just don't have the junk cravings anymore.

Some info on the supplements I have been taking so far

One of the main reasons I decided to become a COACH for Beachbody was to get a sweet discount on the products they offer. Who doesn't love to save some money on things you were already buying anyway right?

Beachbody has this product called Shakeology. Basically it is the healthiest protein shake I have ever tried. Not only does it taste pretty damn good (trust me, I have tried a TON of protein shakes out there) but it isn't just your average protein shake either. This thing packs MORE then your daily recommended does of fruits and veggies, fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein and pro biotics all in one serving! Lets face it, almost none of us eat enough veggies on a daily basis. This is the easiest, cheapest and healthiest way of doing that out there!

I have been drinking the shake as a lunch meal replacement for the last 30 days. So far I have lost 4 pounds, I am not bloated at all which means my tummy is super flat and that's always a plus, I have really good focus and energy all day and I also hope to get my blood tests back saying my cholesterol is great! Oh yeah, that's another thing this shake does, in 90 day studies some participants cholesterol went down significantly.

I also have been taking Beachbody's multi-vitamins. Everyone should be taking vitamins every day in addition to their fitness and nutrition plans. AND DON"T FORGET TO DRINK WATER!

If anyone wants more info, let me know and I will certainly oblige :)

http://myshakeology.com/esuite/home/KristiMinx

Know the difference

Short blog today :)

This morning I was NOT feeling well and I didn't get my workout done like I wanted to. That doesn't mean I am going to beat myself up or give up! It means I either have to get it done tonight when I get home before I do anything else or I have to take today as one of my rest days and workout on a rest day.

So many people slip up, something comes up, you get sick ect. THAT IS OK! Do not get frustrated or get down on yourself. What you need to do is jump right back into your routine like nothing happened and keep moving forward with your personal goals.
NO BIG DEAL!

Ballet and P90X2

So last night, I was talked into doing a beginners ballet class.

I haven't done any kind of structured dance or ballet in the last 20 years! And let me tell you, this was more of an intermediate class, NOT BEGINNER haha! I have always loved ballet, it is a beautiful dance and the dancers always have these amazing bodies. And after doing the class last night, I can see why. You use muscles that  you don't know you have.

I actually surprised myself though and didn't do nearly as bad as I thought I would have :) The stretching on the bar was amazing, the floor work more challanging but all in all, I think this may be a very good thing to incorporate into my P90X2 workouts.

And yes GUYS, ballet and/or yoga is good for you too! (there was a guy in class who in between breaks was doing hand stand pushups!) Even if you are heavy into bodybuilding and lifting, you NEED to be flexable. The more flexable you are, the more likely you are to prevent injuries when you lift heavy or max out.

I think by doing ballet, it will help me get more centered, balanced and in tune with my body for my P90X2 workouts. And also by doing P90X2, it will help me become stonger in ballet.

This is a win win situation!

Before Pictures

I started P90X2 on Monday January 2nd 2012!

First workout was great, Core x2. My core has always been strong but of course I wasn't able to finish every rep that Tony did ha! I figure that if I got through the whole workout without stoping than I shouldn't be doing it anyway.

This morning's workout was Plyocide. Plyo has never been my favorite but I went in with a good attitude and it I ended up having a productive workout. (We will see how much I will be able to move later today haha!)

My goals are to actually finish the whole P90X2 program and actually get up every morning to do it! This is difficult for me since I am NOT a morning person.

I have taken a few before pics. I will also take progress pics after each 30 day period. As of today I am about 124-126 on any given day. The goal is to not really lose weight but to increase muscle mass and tighten up.

2 days down, 88 to go!