Motivation

I'm taking part in a Challenge over the next 9 weeks to see who can lose the most weight each week and after week one I knew I was really slacking. But the leader of the contest asked a really good question this morning and it really made me do some thinking. I decided to share my response publicly to help keep me accountable and get me back on track. Here's the question: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT BEING AT YOUR GOAL WEIGHT????

What am I looking forward to about being at my goal weight? That's a really good question.

1. Being smaller than I have been in about 25 years, close to high school weight.
2. Knowing that I am no longer considered obese
3. Being able to shop anywhere I want to for clothes
4. Knowing I did what it took to reduce my risk of a heart attack and of getting diabetes. Knowing my kids don't have to worry about my health the way I worry about my parents.
5. Being smaller than my sister in law who always parades around like the queen of sheba at family events. Knowing I did the hard way and she paid for her tummy tuck.
6. Feeling what it will feel like to be in my husbands arms, smaller than I have ever been in our marriage. Seeing myself thru his eyes. (I really can't wait for this one)

WoW! Something about seeing your why in writing! I can do this, I know how to do this, now I just need to push and get it done! Please feel free to add your own answers to this question and join me, I really love to help you as I help myself.

Shakeology and Menopause

First and foremost let me say, everyone's results will be different and these are only my experiences. But it has been amazing so I really thought I would share with you.

About 2 months ago I started noticing some changes in the my cycle or lack there of and I thought to myself, ahhhh if this is menopause welcome to my world and completely embraced it. That was June!

Then July came around. UGGGGGGGG is all I can say. Not only did it come back but with a vengeance, cramps, heavy, moody, add any other negative term you can think of....... And to top it off I was really depressed, not wanting to get out of bed, eating horribly, crying over nothing and hot flashes??? Really hot flashes in July, that is just evil. How do I describe the hot flashes, hmmmmmmmm. Well it wasn't really a feeling of being hot, but one of my skin crawling up and down my body, and sweat rolling the opposite direction and literally feeling pain. Not bad pain, but uncomfortable. The most uncomfortable feeling ever!

I started researching menopause and some natural ways to deal with the symptoms and I quickly began to think that's in Shakeology, and that and that....then the light bulb came back on. Let me preface this with I was really been eating poorly and not drinking Shakeology on a regular basis. So the last week of July I started drinking Shakeology every single day and I am shocked. The hot flashes have disappeared completely, and I have noticed a huge difference in my moods. I will give Shakeology full credit for the difference in how I feel since nothing else is really different. And again the cravings are getting less and less, I'm beginning to have energy again, working out again, and def. thinking clearer.

If you'd like more info or want to talk in more detail about my experiences I'd be more than happy to talk with you.

Leah: The Kind Weight Watcher: 150 Followers GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!

Leah: The Kind Weight Watcher: 150 Followers GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!

Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse

June 8th was day 3 of my 3 day cleanse. Started the day off with a shake, then my daughter and I took a hike, ended up doing about 10 miles. Wow, I was really shocked that I was able to do it, but I did and it was so much fun. Had another shake for lunch and went for a job interview. Still felt really good and energized. Dinner was baked Talapia and salad. I was so full I never did have my 3rd shake and I guess from the hike I slept like a baby.

I was really nervous to get on the scale this morning, I really did not what to expect. So my starting weight for this cleanse was 181.8 and today the scale said 177.2 that's a total loss of 4.6 pounds in 3 days. But the thing I am most excited about is since Dec. 2010 I have lost 47.8 pounds total.

I'm so grateful for Team Beachbody and what I have learned since joining this great company. Without the help of all the great friends I have made and all that I have learned I know this would not have been possible. I'd really love to share this opportunity with you as well, please contact me if you are interested.

Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse

Tuesday, Day 2 of 3 day cleanse has been a little tougher than yesterday. Not the cleanse itself but my activities made it tougher. I did great w/breakfast and lunch and had planned on having a shake for afternoon snack then my salad and fish for dinner but my daughter had an interview at 2:00. No big deal right? Except they hired her and sent her to have a drug test, still no big deal. Except she couldn't pee so we were stuck at the hospital waiting and waiting. Of course they were pushing her to drink water, and tea so she could but that made her sick to her stomach so she got sick several times at the hospital. And I was stuck with nothing to eat, not that I wanted to) but I was starving. This went on for 3 hours. I finally broke down and bought some peanuts and ate them. Got home around 7 this evening had a salad and my final shake. I pray the peanuts did not kill my success from yesterday.

Tomorrow is the final day and I'll post my results on Thursday!

Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse

Today is day one of my 3 day cleanse and I decided to blog about it.

For the most part it has been pretty easy. I got a little hungry between lunch and dinner so maybe tomorrow I will have my 3rd shake then. But as for today I have had 2 shakes, and dinner was a large salad w/a boiled piece of chicken. And I have had a ton of water. And the great thing is I still have one more shake to drink, yummy chocolate! I think I'm going to make it thick like ice cream for a treat.

Everyone's results are different so I'm not really sure what to expect as far as weight loss is concerned. I would def. be happy w/at least 5 pounds, which would drop me below 180 and into the overweight class as opposed to the obese class. This is a huge accomplishment for me and one I'm really excited to be getting close to. I'm starting Day 1 @ 181.8 and can't wait to report how much I lose on Thursday morning.

Well that's all for now, see you tomorrow for Day 2.

Random

So I'm sitting here late in the evening looking over a friends blog and realized I really need to get better about blogging. I set two goals for myself this weekend, one was to exercise both days, which I accomplished and I am very proud of this! The second was to add one new person to my BeachBody team, that one didn't happen, so I am disappointed. However, I am not giving up. This is such an awesome company to work for, that I know if I keep at it everything will fall into place.

Over all I'd say I've had a great weekend, spent it with my husband, daughter and both granddaughters and got some fishing in also. So, yes I'd say over all it was great!

This next week I am going to look for a part time job to help my husband out with bills while I build my Beach Body business, continue to look for the perfect somebody to join my team, and if time allows make my wonderful husband a pecan pie. LOL

Have a great night, see ya again soon!

My Story

Just thougtht I'd take a minute or two and tell you a little about myself and why I became a Team Beachbody Coach.

I am 46 years young, mother of 4 children, grandmother to 3 and wife to a wonderful man. This is my second marriage. We have been married 6 years, the first marriage lasted 15 years. My children are 24, 22, 19 and 17, the grandchildren are 3, 11 months and 1 month. I have been overweight/obese since my first child was born in 1987. I had my ahhhh moment playing with my 3 yr old granddaughter. She wanted me to go down the slide with her and my butt wouldn't fit. LOL

I was introduced to Team Beachbody by an old friend from high school who had amazing results using Shakeology and Chalene Extreme. I joined Team Beachbody in Dec. 2010, my starting weight was 225 pounds, today I weigh 181.8. I have lost 5 inches in my waist, 8.5 inches in the hips, 4.5 in the chest. I currently use Turbo Fire for cardio and Shakeology as a meal replacement. I love Team Beachbody for what it has done for me physically, emotionally and financially. I also discovered how much I love helping other people reach their fitness goals.

If you have any questions about my journey please feel free to reach out to me and ask, I still have about 40 pounds to lose and would love to have you join me on this incrediable journey.

Lets get Healthy and Fit Together,

Beverly

8 Reasons Why Your Workouts Aren't Working

I pasted this from an article I found. It may help those who have plateaued or are having a hard time losing in general. Enjoy!

8 Reasons Why Your Workouts Aren't Working

We all know how fantastic working out is for your health. But what happens when your workouts aren't delivering the results you want? Or you're not getting the results you think you should be getting? While any kind of physical activity is good, some workout plans are better than others and—as you might suspect—a lot of other factors come into play when trying to lose weight and tone up. So if your workout isn't working for you, one of the following eight reasons could be to blame. Find out how to turn that around and get the results you deserve!

1. You're not working hard enough.
If you have been exercising consistently for several weeks, months or years, it's definitely time to increase the intensity and start pushing yourself. As you work out more and more, your body adapts and becomes more efficient at doing that certain activity. This means that over time, the 30-minute workout that was challenging for you three months ago doesn't provide the same results. In fact, you're actually burning fewer calories and your body is no longer changing if you're still doing the same old thing.

Get-Results Remedy: In order to get results from exercise, you have to regularly push yourself beyond your fitness comfort zone. Whether you increase the frequency, intensity, or duration of your workouts, you have to switch it up. Not sure where to start? Try adding an extra day of cardio onto your routine, testing out a new group exercise class at the gym, adding another loop around your walking track, or bumping up the incline and speed on the treadmill. Remember, when it comes to exercise, change is good—and that change should be challenging!


2. You're working too hard.
Yes, you can actually work out too hard and too much. If you're someone who goes all out in every workout, or rarely to never takes a day off to rest, you could actually be breaking your muscles down instead of building them. If you always feel tired and sore, have unexplained headaches, insomnia or just a general lack of motivation and an inability to complete your workouts, you may be overtraining.

Get-Results Remedy: Take three to five days off of exercise altogether. It may be hard for you to do this, but know that you must allow your body the time it needs to rest and recover. Get plenty of sleep each night and fill up on nutritious foods. Then slowly ease back into your routine, making shorter, less intense workouts part of your workout plan. And remember to always take one to two rest or easy active recovery days a week!


3. You haven't changed your diet.
Exercise is awesome, but if you're not eating a nutritious diet with the appropriate number of calories for weight management, you could be shooting yourself in the foot. Proper nutrition fuels your workouts, but eat too much and you could gain weight (or hurt your weight-loss efforts), and eat too little, and you won't have enough energy to exercise.

Get-Results Remedy: If you can't seem to see those muscles you're trying to build, start logging your foods to see how many calories you're eating a day. If you're regularly eating more than you should (it just takes an extra 100 calories a day to gain an extra pound a month), then try choosing lower-calorie versions of your favorite foods and slowly decreasing your caloric intake until you're at the right level! On the flip side of that, if you find that you're eating too few calories, that can also slow your metabolism and leave you drained at the gym. Find out how many calories you need to manage your weight by visiting your SparkPeople Nutrition Tracker.


4. You're only doing cardio.
Yes, cardio is important for calorie burning, but a proper exercise plan includes cardio, strength training and flexibility. If you're just doing cardio, then you will be burning calories and strengthening your cardiovascular system, but you won't be really changing your body composition by building more muscle. For that you need strength training!

Get-Results Remedy: Lift weights or do body-weight exercises, such as lunges and push-ups, at least twice a week to reap the amazing benefits of resistance training; including decreased body fat, increased muscle mass and stronger bone density. For hardcore cardio fans, you can also try kettlebell training or circuit training, which is like getting a strength and cardio workout at the same time!


5. You reward yourself with food.
Do you allow yourself to have that extra piece of pizza or order that dessert when dining out because you "went to the gym" earlier? If so, you may be undoing all of that good calorie-burning with too many treats.

Get-Results Remedy: Familiarize yourself with the calorie contents of your favorite foods—and find out how many calories you're really burning through exercise. (SparkPeople's Nutrition Tracker and Fitness Tracker will help you learn!) Remember that while you may have run 3 miles at the gym, that only burned 300 calories, which isn't nearly equivalent to the calorie count in that brownie sundae you ate later. Focus on how good exercise makes you feel rather than what it allows you to eat after; and choose foods that fuel your workouts, rather than the other way around.


6. You're doing too much too soon.
Unfortunately, results don't happen overnight. It takes time and consistency to get in shape over the long haul. But how many of us decide that we're going to get in shape and then get totally gung-ho, spending hours at the gym only to find ourselves tired, sore and no thinner after a week or two?

Get-Results Remedy: Be patient. Remember that you're creating a lifestyle change that you can sustain for the rest of your life. While there's temptation to start off doing extra long and hard workouts, don't. Build up to doing those tough workouts gradually as the weeks go by. Not only will this prevent injury and give your body more time to adapt and change, it will also give your life and habits time to change—permanently!


7. You're trading sleep for workouts.
We're all so busy these days, and sometimes the only time to work out seems to be early in the morning—even if you were up late the night before working or with a child that couldn't sleep. But regularly swapping sleep for workouts can seriously hinder your weight-loss, as sleep triggers a number of hormones that influence cravings and a tendency for weight gain. In addition, too many sleepless nights will leave you tired and unfocused for your workouts, which means that you won't get much from your efforts. And did you know that sleep is a much needed part of a fitness plan, since a lot of recovery and repair happens while you rest each night? Skimp on the shut-eye, and it could also lead to symptoms of overtraining.

Get-Results Remedy: Start scheduling both your sleep and your workouts—and treat both as unbreakable appointments. Then follow SparkPeople's 4-week Better Sleep Challenge to make the most of those Z's! Exercising after an occasional sleepless night shouldn't pose too many problems. But if you're regularly swapping sleep for a sweat session, you could be doing more long-term harm than good. Sleep should come first—even before working out.


8. You sit all day.
Sure, you work out regularly, but what you do the rest of the day matters, too! If you put in a solid exercise session only to sit at a desk all day and lounge in a recliner watching TV at night, you may be undoing all of your hard work at the gym. Plus, there are a number of new studies that say too much sitting can be bad for our health and our waistlines—even if you exercise during the day.

Get-Results Remedy: Try to work more activity into all areas of your life by going for a walk after dinner, choosing to stand whenever possible, taking the stairs, parking your car further away and replacing your TV time for more active relaxation (like playing with your dog). Also, if your job requires you to sit in front of a computer all day, set a timer to beep every half hour or hour to remind you to stand up, stretch and do a quick lap around the office.

If you're not seeing the results you want, you may be guilty of more than one of the mistakes above. Follow these tips to feel better, have more energy and get the workout results you want and deserve!

Boost UR Metabolism

What is Metabolism? Metabolism is the series of organic chemical processes in a living organism where cells create the substances and energy that are required in order to sustain the life of that organism, by this I mean to enable it to keep on going. An organism needs energy at all times to survive no matter what it is doing.

Here are some foods that can help boost your metabolism:
1. Water
2. Green Tea
3. Grapefruit
4. Apples and Pears
5. Broccoli
6. Low fat Yogurt
7. Turkey and Chicken
8. Oatmeal
9. Hot Peppers
11. Almonds
12. Shakeology
13. Cinnamon (sprinkle a litte on your oatmeal)

It may surprise you but the most effective ways to speed up metabolism are also the most simple, taking care of your body, eating right, drinking plenty of water and most importantly of all get into exercise. Exercise at least 30 mintues a day 5-6 days a week. Allow your body 1 day a week to rest and recover.

Instead of 3 large meals a day try eating 5-6 smaller meals, this helps keep your body full longer and cuts out on unhealthy snacking. Consume cold water, your body actually burns calories in order to compensate for the loss of body temperature due to the effect of the water. Also, drinking green tea is strongly believed to help the body burn calories at a faster rate.

Sleep also pays a vital roll in our metabolism. Getting enough sleep, at least 8 hours a night and keeping a consistant bedtime are also important.

Benefits of Walking

Today I'd like to discuss the benefits of walking. Walking is a great place to start if you are new to working out. Walking is a low-impact exercise w/numerous health benefits. Walking can help you lower your LDL (bad cholesterol), raise your HDL (the good cholesterol), lower your blood pressue, reduce our risk of or manage type 2 diabetes, manage your weight, improve your mood and help you get strong and fit.

Walking is less likely to lead to injuries, but you still need to prepare yourself to prevent blister or muscle pain.

Have the right gear! Choose shoes that are comfortable w/proper arch support, firm heel and flexible soles. Loosefitting, comfortable clothing and in layers if you need to adjust to changing temperature.

Be sure to stretch your muscles before walking, especially focus on the calf stretch, quad and hamstrings. Walk slowly for 5 minutes to warm up then increase your speed to a moderate pace. Always reduce your speed for about 5 minutes at the end to cool down.

How long and how often? 30 minutes 2-3 times a week is a good starting point, but always listen to your own body for what you can handle. And as always check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. (geez, I sound like a infomercial) LOL. Work up to 5-6 days a week, and take a day off, your muscles need to time to recover.

Shakeology

Tonight I'd like to share a video with you. It details the nutrients in Shakeology. After you watch the video if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/BeverlyLassiter?bctid=16664447001

Journey

Wow! What a journey this has been. Now about 3 months into it and I have lost 31 pounds, 6 inches in my waist and 7 inches in my hips. Over the last two weeks since starting Turbo Fire I have lost 9.4 pounds. Turbo Fire is an amazing workout! I love Chalene, she is such a great motivator and truely makes you feel like you are right there in the room with her. I am so thank ful for Sheri for introducing me to TBB and the great opportunity that it is. Also for introducing my to Shakeology, I can't even believe how much it has helped me. My energy level is higher than it has been in years, and since it has helped me to loose the weight I don't have achy muschle or joints anymore.

Before I started drinking Shakeology every day I was tired and rundown all the time, no matter how much sleep I got. My legs and back hurt all the time. I got a heel fracture while simply walking, and let me tell you fat girls can not use crutches. I had a cortisone shot in my heel, knee and shoulder trying to help with the pain and nothing helped. But now that I have Shakeology, I have the energy to exercise every day, not just once a day but twice a day. And my doctor can't beleive how great I am doing.

I still have a lot of weight to lose, but I am getting in the best shape of my life and loving every minute of it. I'd love to help you achieve your goals and be your partner on this journey, just message me if I can help in any way.

Lets get Healthy and Fit Together,

Beverly

BeachBody Coaching

If you've seen my post on FB and Twitter about being a BeachBody coach and wanted to know more.  But maybe were afraid to ask watch this video, it'll answer your questions and more.  After you watch it, msg me and we can get you going quickly.  I'd love to have you join my and help "End the Trend" of obesity.

Tuesday, March 22nd

Just wanted to share a little bit of info with you, I just started using a program called myfitnesspal.com and I really like it.  It has over 75000 foods in the database, including Shakeology and P90X bars and every kind of workout imaginable.  There aren't any of the P90X workouts yet, but I bet it gets update soon.  The main reason  I like it so much is I can see how many calories I have eaten and how many I have burned.  This real time info. is really helpful to keep me focused.
I also learned tonight that 2 hours sitting in a boat fishing burns like 444 calories, and we are going fishing Saturday morning, weather permitting.  I was looking forward to it, but now I really am.

Oh yeah, also the Biggest Loser competition at work ends a week from this Friday, so keep your fingers crossed for me.  Would you be interested in a Biggest Loser competition?  Grand prize being a workout DVD.  Sounds like a great idea to me, msg me if you'd be interested.

Getting Healthy and Fit Together,

Coach Beverly

And the Journey Began

As I said previously I started this journey around Dec. 24, 2010 but got really serious when my employer started a Biggest Loser competition with the grand prize being a paid day off.  This started on Jan 10, 2011.  My starting weight was 222 pounds.  Geez I can't believe I was that heavy.  I had no plan, no clue what I was doing just new I wanted to lose the weight and maybe win.  Side note:  Every other competition I actually gained weight.  So as the weeks have gone on I've done pretty good most weeks, even gained one week but I stuck in there.  It was really hard on the weeks that I'd lose .8 or .4 but I kept telling my self at least you lost.
We still have 2 weeks (I think) left and I have lost 26.2 pounds, not sure but I think I'm in at least second.
 I finally broke the 200 barrier now I can focus on the next goal, break 180.  So now I have 15.8 pounds to my next goal.  I have found setting small obtainable goals really helps to keep it in focus.

I'm wondering if others on the weight loss journey have found that when you cut all the junk out of your diet, real food taste so much better?   Seriously, I have never in my life liked peanut butter.  Mom tried to get me to eat it and I refused, but last week I tried it and it was good?????  I just can't imagine going back to eating like I use too.  I read somewhere recently if your grandmother couldn't grow it or kill it then you shouldn't eat it!  Wow, really makes me look at foods so differently.  

I hope you'll join me on this journey and if I can help you or encourage you any way just let me know.

Getting Started

Today is day 1 of my blogging.  I hope you'll find it interesting and return to see how my journey is going.  I also hope to motivate and encourage you, and share some helpful information with you.  Today is my rest day, which basically means no heavy workout or lifting, but I will go run later this evening.  Right now my workout of choice is Turbo Fire and I totally love it!  It is challenging but that's what we want right?  To be pushed beyond what we think we can handle.  Thus burning more calories and losing more weight.

I guess I really should back up and share a little history with you.  I have been over weight since becoming pregnant with my first child 24 years ago.  I guess at my heaviest I have weighed about 230.  But in Dec. 2010 I decided enough was enough.  I was tired of my back and knees hurting all the time so I turned to  friend who was talking about something called Shakeology.  I had to know more, she sent me samples and I have been hooked ever since.  It keeps me full longer, thus I eat less.  And it has 70 plus all natural ingredients so I get the stuff I really need. Visit www.myshakeology.com/BeverlyLassiter if you'd like to know more.  I started drinking one shake a day and working out to the free DVD's that I received.  And I have lost 20.2 pounds so far.  Last Monday when I weighed I was at 200.8 pounds.  Hope to break 200 this Monday.  If not I will have to amp up the workouts, eliminate sugar completely and eat more veggies.

Check back with me tomorrow for the results of my weigh in and I'll share with you what my typical daily diet looks like.