Ready to blast fat?

If I told you that there was a way to burn more calories, lose more fat, and improve your cardio fitness level while spending less time doing cardio, you’d probably reach for your phone to report me to the consumer fraud hotline, right?

Well, this is one of those rare times when your natural it’s-too-good-to-be-true reaction could be mistaken. If you want to take your fitness and fat loss to the next level—without spending more time in the gym or working out—then high intensity interval training (also known as HIIT) could be exactly what you're looking for.

Before getting into the details, notice that I didn’t say HIIT would be easier, just that it would take less of your time. In fact, the HIIT approach to cardio exercise is very physically demanding and isn’t for everyone. If you have any cardiovascular problems or other health concerns that limit your ability to exercise at very intense levels, or if you are relatively new to aerobic exercise or not already in good shape, HIIT is not for you—at least for now. If you have any doubts or concerns about whether it might be safe for you, check in with your medical professional before trying HIIT.

What It Is and How It Works
HIIT is a specialized form of interval training that involves short intervals of maximum intensity exercise separated by longer intervals of low to moderate intensity exercise. Because it involves briefly pushing yourself beyond the upper end of your aerobic exercise zone, it offers you several advantages that traditional steady-state exercise (where you keep your heart rate within your aerobic zone) can’t provide:

• HIIT trains and conditions both your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. You train your anaerobic system with brief, all-out efforts, like when you have to push to make it up a hill, sprint the last few hundred yards of a distance race, or run and hide from your spouse after saying the wrong thing.
• HIIT increases the amount of calories you burn during your exercise session and afterward because it increases the length of time it takes your body to recover from each exercise session.
• HIIT causes metabolic adaptations that enable you to use more fat as fuel under a variety of conditions. This will improve your athletic endurance as well as your fat-burning potential.
• HIIT appears to limit muscle loss that can occur with weight loss, in comparison to traditional steady-state cardio exercise of longer duration.
• To get the benefits HIIT, you need to push yourself past the upper end of your aerobic zone and allow your body to replenish your anaerobic energy system during the recovery intervals.

So wanna do some HIIT right in your own home? I have 2 programs I love and are so much fun! They are Shaun T's Insanity and Chalene Johnson's TurboFire. Best part? NO EQUIPMENT!!! Just you and and a tv. Take it on vacation or on your business trip and get a better workout than you would at a gym. And don't fret, you won't be doing this alone! I am here for you for motivation and support to make sure you get the results you want!! Plenty of time to get ready for spring time, don't wait!

Here is a preview for Insanity and for TurboFire.

Anyone can afford Shakeology. Let me show you!

You really can. There is really no excuse. I felt disturbed that I had left out Shakeology from my suggested meal plan, especially given the fact that many of the foods we eat today (particularly our chicken/fish/meat) are of such poor quality. It makes sense that Shakeology would make up for some of the nutrient deficient foods we consume as a society. But, the question remains: Can you afford it?

If I left it out of my meal plan, then somewhere in my mind I was saying, “No, there is little room for it in a tight budget.” However, somehow that just didn’t jive with me. Let’s do the math together and you decide.

The cost of Shakeology on autoship (you get free shipping) is $119.99. Plus tax, say around $126, for one month’s supply (1 serving a day for 30 days). Each shake comes out to about $4.20. The coach price for Shakeology on autoship is $89.99 or around $96 total. Each serving comes out to $3.20.

Too much you say? Not if you are using Shakeology as a meal replacement, which, by the way, will help you lose weight. Remember: Subjects in a 90-Day study lost an average of 10lbs when they replaced just one meal per day with Shakeology.

The cost of an average lunch at a restaurant or take-out: $6 to $9. Plus, even Subway sandwiches which are reputably low-cal average 460 to 560 calories. Shakeology has 140 calories, less than 1 gram of fat per serving, annnnnnd it is truly nutrient rich.

The cost of an average take out or restaurant dinner: $10 & up to be sure.

The cost of a home-cooked lunch or dinner: 6-8 ounces of chicken = $2.00 (and we are talking low-grade chicken), veggies= $1 (frozen veggies are really okay! hurray!) and 1 sweet potato = from .5 to $1.00. Total= about $3.4.

Conclusion: You are spending about $3-4 on a home-cooked meal, the same amount that you would spend on Shakeology.

So what is the big fuss about then? I think our resistance has to do more with our thinking than our actual ability to afford Shakeology, regardless of budget. Somehow, I’m guessing, many people see Shakeology as a luxury item. But is it really? I invite you to watch the following video **HERE** and see what real doctors have to say about this amazing product! For additional info, please go to http://www.awesomeshakes.com/
We think nothing of spending $4 on mass-produced food that doesn’t truly nourish us, yet we protest that $4 for Shakeology is too expensive. There’s something awry with our thinking, don’t you think?
Either pay the farmers now or the doctors later!

To your health and to thinking outside the box.

~Nicole

Hybrid Schedules using P90X, Insanity, TurboFire, One on One, and P90X+

If you ever wanted to do a hybrid of your workout programs, here are some great hybrids! These are easy to print so you can chart your progress as you go. BRING IT!

P90X and Insanity hybrid schedule~ printable worksheets
http://www.teambeachbody.com/home/-/dl_get_file/d35f8de1-d294-4585-9b3a-1d7c5b21c37a

P90X and TurboFire hybrid schedule~ printable worksheets
http://www.teambeachbody.com/home/-/dl_get_file/a0c1918e-3ada-4252-860a-b8aac5814ebd

P90X and P90X One on One hybrid schedule~ printable worksheets
http://www.teambeachbody.com/home/-/dl_get_file/41a0dc5d-8eaa-45f0-befd-cd577c84a8ba

P90X and P90X+ hybrid schedule~ printable worksheets
http://www.teambeachbody.com/home/-/dl_get_file/19fa6291-a8fe-4977-86a6-5c6b59166c69

Shakeology: The healthiest meal of the day!

What is Shakeology? Why is Oprah writing a 10 page article in her magazine about it?

Containing 70 all-natural ingredients, Shakeology utilizes digestive enzymes and probiotics to aid in the elimination of built up toxins in the body. Shakeology also contains over 20 different antioxidants and phytonutrients that aids in the reduction of free radicals. Basically, Shakeology works to prevent cell damage that has been linked to an array of disorders such as cancer, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes.

An independent study showed:

- 38% drop in bad cholesterol

- 30% drop in total cholesterol

- 24% drop in risk of cardiovascular risk factors

It has shown to aid in weight loss while curbing one’s appetite and burning fat storage. And unlike most so-called “healthy” drinks, shakeology gets its taste strictly from nature!

- No Refined Sugars

- No Artificial Sweeteners

- No Artificial Flavorings

- No Gluten

- No Caffeine

You owe it to yourself to try it. Beachbody has a 30 day money back, bottom of the bag guarantee. You can return it even if you drink the whole bag! Click to see where Shakeology comes from!