Working Out: The Easy Way to Maintain a Fitness Program

Let’s face it, life is busy. Duty calls and where does the time go? With the greatest intentions of working out, life gets in the way. After a long grueling day at work, it is hard to make it to the gym. All it takes is an excuse: work a little over, get caught in heavy traffic,tired from the working, with a day like that it is easy to just miss the turn to the gym and make a bee line for home.

Okay so you decide to work out in the morning instead, great plan! Start fresh and nothing can get in your way. Lay out your gym clothes; pack a bag with your straightener, makeup, deodorant, work clothes on the hanger, oh yeah, fresh undies, shoes, toothpaste, soap and a towel. Bag is packed and alarm is set for 4:30am. Be at the gym by 5:15, get your cardio in from 5:30 to 6:00, then 45 minutes of strength training, 10 minutes of cool down , done with your workout at 7:00; shower, make-up, hair done by 7:45 and off to work you go.

Alright, it worked well for a month, then the hassle syndrome kicked in; missing a day here and there for some sleep becomes the greater part of the routine.

This used to be me. For 7 years, I rotated from morning workouts, to evening workouts, back to morning. The worst part of the evening workouts was the after 5:00 crowd and the motivation to even get to the gym after a long day. The worst part of the morning workout was getting up. Let it be cold or raining outside and all motivation to get up is gone.

I took the hassle out of working out and never miss a day. How? I get up at 6:00, have my juice or coffee, check my email and give myself time to wake up. Then I put on my workout clothes, go to the television, choose my workout DVD, put it in and press play. I work out from 6:30 to 7:15, make some oatmeal, take my shower and get ready for work. I’m out the door by 8:00, feeling great, no stress and my workout for the day is done!

It doesn’t have to be stressful, that defeats the purpose. The point is to get your workout done, feel great and lose weight.

I have gotten more results from working out at home than I ever did in the 7 years of going to the gym. Why?

1. Consistent – I don’t miss workouts
2. Comfortable – I worked out at my pace, and don’t have to worry about how I looked, or if I am being judged for how I am doing my workouts.
3. Relaxed and actually enjoy my workouts.
4. Great personal trainer, guiding me to get results.
5. Workout programs and diet are laid out for me. No guessing about what body part to work that day and what to eat for proper fuel and nutrition.
6. Support from others going through the same program. Yes, motivation via private Facebook groups, email, text or phone call from other’s facing the same challenges as you. (I will cover challenge groups later!)
7. Seeing my RESULTS!


The first step is to choose a workout that is right for your fitness level and goals. I will be featuring different Beachbody workouts weekly. For great results, you should change your workout out every couple of months to maximize your results and keep your body and metabolism guessing, “What in the world is going to happen next? This woman’s gone crazy, but she sure does look good.”

This week I have chosen Brazil Butt Lift. It is a great workout to get your body used to a routine, and motivated by seeing results. Follow the daily workouts and meal plan and lose weight, feel great and see results. Watch the short video below for success stories and a clip of the workout.


To get started, click on the Icon above and order your workout today! Have questions? Email me at coachtammyhicks@gmail.com I'll answer any questions you have regarding the program and explain how my coaching will bring you SUCCESS!!!! It's included with your purchase.

If you want RESULTS, if you would like to 10 - 27 lbs in just 60 days, I will make it happen for you! Motivation, support and guidance with a proven workout! If I didn't believe in Beachbody, I wouldn't be using Beachbody. Come on, let's get started!

Parmesan Chicken Broccoli

.

Sautéed Chicken w/ Parmesan Broccoli

Place pan over medium heat

Add 1 tbspn of olive oil

Add 2 tbpsn of fresh garlic

Cut two chicken breast fillets into cubes. Make sure to cut off extra fat from the chicken. Place cut chicken cubes in pan and cook stirring as needed until done. Don't cook to high or fast, you want the chicken to be tender and able to cut with a fork.

Broccoli

Place in pan over medium heat

Add 1 tbspn olive oil

Add fresh garlic

Cook stirring as needed until done. Do not over cook, Broccoli should be tender but still a little hard to get the full nutrients. Sprinkle with low-fat parmesan cheese, turn stove top off and cover.

You may also serve with whole grain brown rice.

How Low Progesterone Can Affect Your Health

I went through a battle with insomnia, bloating, weight fluctuation, unexplained depression, anxiety and panic attacks for over a year, before I finally connected the dots and realized what was going on with my body.

It started right before my 42nd birthday. I had been under a tremendous amount of emotional stress for a two year period. I made sure to have a healthy diet and regular fitness routine and thought that I was dealing the stress pretty well. During this time I had been having a hard time falling asleep, and when I would fall asleep, I was aware that my mind was constantly racing. I would wake up several times during the night and have a hard time falling back asleep.

All of the sudden, I began having panic attacks. I would be getting ready for work and have difficulty breathing. I would then get sick at my stomach and start shaking. These attacks would last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. The attacks began to progress from once or twice a month to weekly. I would become so upset, that I would vomit after each attack.

I contacted several counselors, thinking if I could just talk with someone, I could figure out why I was having these attacks, get past the issues and be okay. This of course was to no avail.

During this time I was experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding. I experienced severe pain, huge clots and had to keep several changes of clothing on me at work. I was taking two Advil every 2 hours to try and control the pain. This was every month and sometimes twice a month. I still did not put any of these symptoms together.

I continued to exercise and eat healthy, but was having to miss a few workouts due to heavy cycles. My weight was 127 pounds but would fluctuate to 135 during these cycles. I weighed myself every morning and could tell when I was getting ready to start my period by the scale. December 31st I weighed at 130, January 1st I weighed at 140. Ten pounds overnight, it had to be my scale, there was no way possible to gain this much weight overnight. I replaced the scale and was 140.

I made an appointment with my gynecologist and was advised to have an Endometrial Ablation. I had an ultrasound and an endometrial biopsy. The ultrasound showed that my uterine lining was 25mm and it should have been 4mm.

A lack of progesterone had caused my lining to thicken. The lack of progesterone was brought on by anxiety and panic attacks. The kicker to the entire dilemma was that it had been brought on by my battle with stress.

I am focusing on my lifestyle and nutrition from an entirely different view point than ever before. When I was younger I ate for taste, satisfaction, energy, or just because I could. Now that I have crossed the threshold of forty; I must deal with life a little differently from that of a twenty year old.

I am heading into a new age of life that will include hormonal roller-coasters, metabolism pit stops, as well as increased chances of age related diseases. Which foods should I eliminate from my diet? What foods should I eat to keep my body happy, healthy and productive as I move into this new realm of life? What forms of exercise and how often? How can I maintain a healthy metabolism and optimum weight loss?

Watch for fitness tips & recommendations, recipes, and possible home remedies I find along the way. There will be blogs on dealing with stress as well as motivation, humor and a new leash of life! I will be focusing on fitness and nutrition for women over forty.

The Dangers of Not Exercising

Hypokinetic Diseases

These diseases occur from a sedentary lifestyle. Not exercising!
Some examples are listed below:

Cardiovascular disease (including high-blood pressure)
Some forms of cancer
Back Problems
Obesity
Type 2 Diabetes
Osteoporosis
Mental Health

It is astonishing how many people will read this and still continue to live a sedentary lifestyle. It’s reminds me of someone who has a headache and continues to complain about it, but will not take Tylenol.

Daily exercise; and I do mean daily, could prevent or alleviate these diseases and symptoms. Spending just 30 minutes out of your day, at least 5 days per week, could not only save your life, but would help you live a productive, healthy happy life.
It’s that simple, exercise for life!

If you are ready to commit to your health, contact me and let’s find a fitness program for you. You will be amazed at the benefits you will reap from living and enjoying a healthy lifestyle!

http://fabin60.com
http://facebook.com/FitAfterForty
coachtammyhicks@gmail.com

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle - Preplan Your Meals

To maintain a healthy lifestyle, you must be a planner.

Not having your meals pre-planned is the number one diet failure. This will cause you to eat out, eat junk and then guilt yourself into failure. NO! NO! NO! Plan your meals a week in advance. Pre cook on your day off, cook enough the night before to take for lunch the following day. Eating artificial, processed, enriched, high fructose syrup, hydrogenated, filled and on and on foods will kill your chances for having a flat stomach and toned form. Make sure you read your labels, research the terms and stay away from the diet killers. If it is packaged or boxed, it can't be good.

Create your own recipes and track your calories!

When you know what you are putting into your body, it makes you more aware of what is actually clean. When I create a new recipe, I start by writing down each ingredient and track the calories, calories from fat, carbs, sugar, protein, sodium and saturated fat for each ingredient. If the serving is 1/2 cup and you are using 1 cup, double your totals. Next, I total each category and divide it by the serving size. This gives you a record of your intake, and helps you look for ways you can make the meal healthier!

Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup Egg Beaters

2 Scoops Whey Protein

1 tsp cinnamon ( may add, blueberries, strawberries, bananas)

1/2 cup Almond Milk

1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese

2 tbsp of Stevia or raw honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender, mix and pour over the griddle. Great for a post workout meal on a high intensity fitness program. Yields 8 4" pancakes. Double ingredients for 16.

3 Pancake Serving: 370 Calories, 33 fat calories, 42 carbs, 6 sugars, 45 grams protein, 0 sat fat.

I use Pure Maple Syrup. Raw Honey is great option, or you may top it with Greek Yogurt and fruit.

Why Is It So Hard To Diet? How to Break the Bondage

Dieting takes discipline and in order to discipline yourself, you have to really want something. You have the power to change your health, situations and circumstances, but you have to want it.
Commitment brings consistency, so commit to change and be consistent with your actions and you will see results.

When I wake up in the morning, I have the option to sit around and drink coffee, surf the net, catch up on daily chores before work, or I have the option to put on my workout clothes, grab a bottle of water and put in my Insanity, P90X, Les Mills, etc.... Because I have a goal to be healthy and fight the health effects genetics have brought into my life, I choose to workout. Some say I am obsessed because I work out 6 days a week. No, I just know that it is something I have to do considering my families health history, and I have grown to enjoy the benefits from my efforts.

What is your turning point?

My diet for the first 30 years of my life consisted of fried taters, fried okra, fried chicken, dumplings, biscuits and gravy, potato salad, pizza, cheeseburgers, peach cobbler, and on and on and on.

As I sat in a hospital waiting room, while my mother had her second open heart surgery, the doctor came in to give the prognosis; this is when I had my turning point.

Basically the doctor had done all that he could, removed the blockage and re-routed arteries, but if she did not change her diet, there would be nothing more he could do for her. My Mother had diabetes, heart disease and a list of other ailments. By making chances which included daily exercise and a considerable change to her diet she would have a chance of living a happy, healthy life.

I decided I must make changes in my own life, or I would be in the same position. I committed to eating healthy. It was a process for me because I did not really know what healthy eating was. I began the South Beach diet which was easy for me to follow and discovered the more healthy foods I ate, the more healthy foods I craved. That was over 10 years ago and I have maintained clean eating habits and learned more regarding diets, health and fitness since then, but I had to have a turning point.

My mother unfortunately, was not able to make the changes necessary and passed away from heart disease at the age of 69. I am 42 now and have never had an issue with high blood pressure or major health issues. If I had not changed my lifestyle could I say that? I don't think so.

You are in control of your health if you want to be. You must decide what works for you and start with baby steps. Just put forth the effort and see what happens.

For more information on beginning a fitness program or if you just have a question:

http://fabin60fitness@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/fabin60

How I Lost Weight with Shakeology

Face it, dieting is torture but it doesn’t have to be. I have found a way to conquer the diet beast and not cheat on my diet. You have heard this many times, “it is not a diet it is a lifestyle change”. Cliché as it is, it’s true. When I committed to change my eating habits and was consistent, I began to see results.

I took small steps toward my change. I had a lot of cleaning up to do so I took it one step at a time. I eased myself into a “diet” I could live with. Shakeology was key to controlling my appetite.

My first step was to eliminate all fried foods and fatty meats. I was a "meat and potatoes” Southern Gal all the way around. I turned fried chicken into grilled chicken breast fillets. Instead of 80/20 hamburger meat I switched to 96% lean or ground turkey. I swapped my fatty Ribeye for sirloin or London broil. Pork chops became pork tenderloin. I gave up vegetable oil, canola oil and Crisco for Olive Oil. I cook everything in Olive oil.

Next I gave up junk food. Potato chips, cookies, cake, ice cream sundaes, brownies, cobbler, snack cakes and swapped them for bananas, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, mangos, peaches etc….. Chocolate Shakeology with a spoon of natural peanut butter and a tablespoon of graham crackers became my Reeses Cup. Tropical Shakeology with spoon of fat free cream cheese and graham crackers became my cheese cake. Never more did I have cravings for sweets and junk food.

My next step was to eliminate bread, potatoes, rice and pasta totally. Some people can handle wheat bread but not I. I gave up bread totally including the biscuits. I eat brown rice one time per week but that’s it. I can’t eat it every day. I switched potatoes to sweet potatoes. I found by keeping a daily journal of my food intake, I could pin point foods that caused me to gain or slow down my results. That’s why certain foods I do not eat at all or on a limited intake. The Shakeology has played a key role, my appetite has been controlled and I have not been hungry in between meals.

Now that you have the idea, here are a few things I do to eliminate cheating. When I crave a cheeseburger, I have a cheeseburger salad. All of my favorite burger toppings go onto a bed of lettuce. The same with spaghetti, I simply use ground turkey or lean ground meat in my sauce, top it with a bed of lettuce and add parmesan cheese and my favorite dressing. Now for my salad dressing, I continue to eat my Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. If that is the only bad thing I eat, and I am burning 3500 calories a week with my workouts, and it keeps me from craving a Whopper, then I think I’m okay. The carbs and sugars are lower in regular ranch than the lite. Of course if you prefer Balsamic Vinaigrette then your way ahead of me.

What about Pizza? I take a whole wheat tortilla shell, cover it with sauce and my favorite toppings along with 2% mozzarella bake it hot and fresh and enjoy my pizza.

I still eat Chili, just use lean meat or ground turkey and substitute black beans for kidney beans. I still eat kidney beans occasionally. What most people call a cheat meal, where they eat something really bad; I make these my cheat meals.

I do not eat at any fast food restaurant. I make enough food at dinner to take the left overs for lunch. This keeps me from eating out and blowing my diet. Shakeology has been an easy lunch that has saved me so much money and calories on eating out during the work week.

My regular diet consists of 1200-1500 calories per day. (This will vary with your weight loss goals and fitness program.)

Breakfast (one of the below)

Shakeology

Protein Pancakes (no more than 1 time per week) topped with sugar free syrup

Eggs and turkey bacon or sausage

Oatmeal topped with fruit (blueberries are the best)

Omelet with turkey bacon or sausage

Lunch (one of the below)

Lean meat, chicken or fish and 2 vegetables

Salad topped with lean meat, chicken or fish

Shakeology

Dinner (one of the below)

Lean meat, chicken or fish and 2 vegetables

Salad topped with a lean meat

Snacks (two per day)

Fruit, nuts, and yogurt

Celery, raw broccoli, raw carrots

Occasionally I will have a few fat free cheese cubes


Occasionally I will make brownies or pumpkin bread out of protein powder. If I have any type of cake or cookie, I make it homemade with whole wheat flour, unsweetened applesauce and protein powder or Shakeology. Follow me on Pinterest for great recipes.pinterest.com/fabin60


Of course you need a fitness program to go along with your diet, but step one is to get your eating habits under control. Inbox me any questions or follow me on facebook. I am an Independant Coach for Beachbody, the makers of Insanity, P90X, Brazil Butt Lift and so many more fitness programs. I can help you select a fail proof fitness program that is right for you. Being consistent with diet and exercise are key to a healthy lifestyle. I can offer you unlimited support and motivation, and best of all I am FREE. Let’s get started today!