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Top Ten Reasons You Should Find a Workout Buddy

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Having a workout/healthy-living buddy is SO helpful in SO many ways! If you are married, or have a significant other, you’ve already got a prospective partner. Do they need some convincing…get on it! Maybe you have a best friend or sibling that has similar goals…get them on board! How about a neighbor? Talk about convenience! Develop a plan, share a babysitter and make it happen!

Here are 10 reasons you should find a buddy:

1. Having a reliable workout buddy increases the chances of sticking with your program. It’s never a good feeling to let someone down.

2. You’ll have your own personal cheerleader; someone to push you when it gets hard. How often do we give up when something seems too difficult? Your partner can “spot” you when you struggle and pat you on the back when you pushed through it!

3. Time flies with a friend. You’ll be chatting and laughing and so busy sharing your workout time, that it’ll be done before you know it!

4. You can coordinate your busy schedules. You can sit down with your pal and figure out where your windows of opportunity are and then schedule your workout times! You’ll be more likely to stick to it, if someone else is relying on you.

5. You’ll be less likely to cancel. Again, if someone else took the time to fit it in, you will too!

6. You’ll have a talking mirror. Sometimes it’s hard to see and appreciate your own progress. A buddy will remind you that you couldn’t lift that weight last week, and look at you now! Or tell you that your clothes are looking a little baggy, or that you seem to have an extra ‘bounce’ in your step. 🙂

7. You’ll have an additional challenge; a little healthy competition! It’s ok to let someone else drive you to do more! You’ll want to match their intensity, and you’ll push yourself harder to keep up!

8. You’ll get a fresh new perspective and new ideas! You’ll get a chance to see how someone else does it. Maybe they do something a little differently than you do, and it’s easier, or more effective.

9. You’ll be paired up with a ‘fit’ friend; a positive influence you’ll want emulate more than someone else who doesn’t make their health a priority. If your friend orders a salad, it’s easier to do the same.

10. You can celebrate your successes together! What’s better than accomplishing your goals? Doing it with a friend/spouse/buddy that can celebrate with you!

Final thought: If you need a little extra help, grab your buddy and join one of my 30 Day Challenge groups! Find a program you love, a diet plan you can stick to, and the support you’ll need to get it done! 😀

*This post was inspired by a friend that seems to inspire a LOT of my posts. She is a trooper, a tryer and a never-give-upper! I’m one of her biggest fans! 😀

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To Do, Or NOT To Do…

resolutionNew Year’s Eve is just around the corner. The next day is the new year! 2013! What does the new year have in store for you? Have you given it much thought yet? Maybe it’s not a big deal. Maybe it’s just another day, a continuation of the same routine. But, I like to think of it as a new beginning! A new chance to make some little or BIG changes in your life! Whether you intend to or not, you’re making a resolution that day. You’re either going to make a FIRM decision to DO or NOT to do something.

I bet very few people will roll out of bed that day and think to themselves “I’m NOT going to do anything to make my life better this year”. However, the passive act of NOT thinking about it, is your decision, which becomes your resolution. You will have resolved to do nothing.

Instead, start thinking about it NOW. Lay the groundwork to be actively resolved and determined to make 2013 a better year! So that when you roll out of bed on January 1, 2013 you have a plan of action. Maybe that means that you make a list of the problems or things that you need to change, and start thinking about the solutions! For me, it’s time management. I have been actively pursuing solutions to this problem already. I’m formulating plans, trying different methods, looking at all the possible solutions. I am determined to make 2013 a year that I bring it all together. I plan to continue working toward my health and fitness goals, developing as a coach and work at home mom, and organizing my days so that my family experiences the best ME I can be!

So everyone is making a resolution. It’ll be a firm decision either way. So ask yourself this: Am I firmly resolved to do nothing to change my life, or something to make it better? Even if it’s just something small, make a little tweak here and there, but have a plan. Start thinking about it now. Act with determination ‘to DO’! Don’t let your resolution passively default to ‘NOT to do’.

*If health and fitness are part of your firm decision for the new year, consider joining my 30 day challenge. We’ll start on January 7! You’ve got until January 2 to sign up, but why not be resolved enough to do it NOW! Get yourself signed up, and FIRM up your resolution today. See the “30 Day Challenge” link at the top of this page to get started. 🙂 And have a HAPPY HEALTHY New Year!

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Are You Going to START or Make it Last?!

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It’s mid-December, hard to believe right? But you know what that means…January is just around the corner. And you know what that means, right? A new year is approaching! And you know what that means, right? Time to make your resolutions a reality! As we prepare for Christmas and do all of the cooking and baking and eating and running around like crazy chickens without our heads…we should take a minute and think about what we want for 2013. What do you want? Is it going to be the year of YOU?!

January is always such a big time for STARTING! It’s a new beginning, a new chance to get it right. The trick is to MAKE IT LAST! A good start begins with a solid plan. Do you have a plan? Consider this: I have a new challenge group starting up on January 7. This gives you about a week to recover from the holidays, formulate a plan, get organized and then CRUSH IT for 30 days! We’ll focus on health, fitness, eating clean and accountability: this is the key ingredient! We report in daily, and let the group know what we’re doing and how we’re doing. Are we sticking to our workout schedule? Are we eating the food that will help us achieve our goals? We’ll talk about our struggles and our achievements! You’ll take your before measurements, set realistic goals, and check your progress weekly. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in 30 days if you stick with it! After that, you’ll have the momentum and motivation you’ll need to carry on and MAKE IT LAST!

If you know you’re ready, than let’s get you set for the 7th NOW! You can contact me through the “30 Day Challenge” link at the top of this page. We’ll talk about your individual goals and formulate a plan that will work best for you. Get ready, get excited, and then let’s get started! 😀

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Clean Eating FREE 3-Day Challenge! Join Here!

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December 12, 13 and 14

We’re all going to be in this together! It is my hope that in doing this challenge, you’ll see how easy it is to incorporate clean, healthy foods into your everyday diet. I hope that you  will get a glimpse of how good it can make you feel to eat more real, whole foods, and leave the processed foods and empty calories on the shelf! We’ll talk about resources and recipes that will help keep you on track after our 3 days, into the New Year and beyond. Personally, when I participated in a 25 day clean eating challenge, I lost 8 pounds and 9 ½ inches.  Even though this challenge is just 3 days, it is possible that you might begin to notice a difference in how you feel, and you’ll definitely get a really good start on some of your health and nutritional goals.

*Did I mention PRIZES!? Anyone who participates all 3 days will be entered to win a 5-Day trial supply of Shakeology!  Yay! 🙂

Provide your name and email below, and I will send you an email containing simple instructions that you’ll need in order to participate each day. I’ll also provide you with some tips, strategies and even a sample grocery list. You don’t need to buy anything, except your groceries for the 3 days. It’s just an opportunity to clean up your shopping lists, lunch bags and dinner plates every day! Spread the word! Invite your friends, family, neighbors and anyone else who you think might like to be part of something like this! The more, the healthier!

To join, please provide your information below, and then check out the video for a preview of what “Clean Eating” is all about.

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A Public Service Announcement

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Unless you WANT your husband to get buff, healthy and totally hot…forget about getting fit! This is a warning to women everywhere. The following events will happen, and it’ll be your fault!

Here’s how: First, you’ll start working out with HIS weights! Not to be outdone, he’ll work in a couple sets of his own, and ask you to “spot” him, which means…”Look how STRONG I am”! Then, you’ll take the dog out for a few runs, and suddenly he’ll be dusting off his running shoes and “testing” them out to see if they still feel good. You’ll inevitably start cooking and eating healthier foods. He’ll  begrudgingly take one bite, and then he’ll clean his plate, get a second helping, but save enough of the leftovers to take for lunch the next day.  You see where this is going. Go ahead…get healthy…see what happens!

Here’s the truly discouraging thing about this phenomenon. Your husband will ‘decide’ to get fit, and the next day…he’ll be down 10 pounds!  Just deciding seems to work up enough of a burn to accomplish this feat…overnight! Before you know it, his pants won’t stay up, he’ll need new belts and you won’t be able to pry him away from the mirrors in your house. 🙂  It’ll happen. Trust me.

It won’t stop with your husband either…nope. Your mom will be calling you and wanting to know what healthy recipes you’re making for dinner this week. She’ll want to start working out with the latest and greatest programs available and taught be women half her age! 😉 She’ll be leading a revolution in her own house and then guess who’s next…yep…your dad! (See above for how that’s going to turn out)

Don’t even get me started on your kids! They are going to be running downstairs to follow along with your workout video. Your 5-year-old might even decide that he is strong enough to pick up your 15 pound dumbbell after you explained to him at least a dozen times that he should not pick it up because he’ll likely drop it, it’ll land on his foot, and he’ll break a toe! But he won’t listen to you. He’ll pick it up anyway, drop it on his foot and break a toe! Your six-year-old might be learning how to read all of the big words in the world around her, but pay special attention to food labels and words like: calories, sugar grams, high fructose corn syrup, etc. She’ll point out again and again what ingredients are in the foods you’re all eating and make dinner time a real learning experience for everyone.

So you can see…this is not a decision to take lightly. Are you ready for the consequences of your actions? If so, I suggest you buy men’s pants on sale, get more mirrors, some protective foot coverings for your children and a dictionary. Then, you might be prepared to take on this new healthy lifestyle, and all that comes with it! Good luck! 😀