Make your New Year's Resolutions Stick

Make Your New Year's Resolution Stick! Want to lose weight? Get a promotion? Take over the world? Here's how to make sure your New Year's resolution becomes a reality. First, the bad news: The odds are stacked against you. A few years ago, psychologist Richard Wiseman conducted a study of 3,000 people who had set New Year's resolutions for themselves. At the end of the year, a measly 12% had actually achieved their goals.1 But don't let those bleak stats kill your mojo—there are a few easy ways to make your goals more attainable, so you'll be toasting your success next December. Plan ahead. It's 11:59 PM on December 31st—do you know what your resolution is? For the best chance of success, set your goals long before you want to start them. Wiseman says that reflecting on your goals a few days before the New Year will make you more likely to choose a meaningful resolution2—which, of course, will make you more motivated to work for it. Still haven't set a goal? That's okay. Make one now and set yourself a start date a few days from now. Shout it from the rooftops . . . . . . or at least share it online. According to Wiseman's research, women were more likely to succeed if they told their friends and family about their goals.3 After all, you wouldn't want to fail in front of a few hundred of your closest friends, colleagues, and high school exes—would you? Make your resolution Facebook® official, tweet about it, or post a "before" photo on Instagram®. Accountability is your friend. Strategize. Once you've decided on your Big Important Goal, come up with a few smaller objectives that can help you get there. If you resolve to lose weight, commit to doing your INSANITY® workout every day. Or hire a personal trainer and buy sessions in bulk. Or take a two-mile hike every weekend. "Intention is very different than action," says Daniel C. Stettner, Ph.D., director of Psychology at UnaSource Health Center in Troy, MI, and an adjunct professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. "People have to come up with tactics and strategies. Otherwise, it's like driving to a destination without directions—you're not going to be successful." Think positive . . . but not too positive. If you paid attention in English class, you might remember "doublethink" from Orwell's 1984—the ability to accept two opposing beliefs as truth. In this case, you need to accept that you can succeed and that you can fail. In his book, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot, Wiseman points to research by psychologist Gabriele Oettingen, who found that imagining success kept people motivated, while imagining failure helped them form "avoidance goals."4 In other words, it's okay to fantasize about firing your annoying cube mate when you become manager—but also devise a Plan B in case you get passed over for this round of promotions. Know thy enemy. Willpower is overrated. According to a recent study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, people were more likely to be successful if they avoided temptation altogether rather than expecting superhuman self-control to kick in.5 So figure out what changes you can make to sidestep your biggest roadblocks—can you take a different route to work that doesn't pass a bagel shop? Can you block Facebook on your computer to free up more time for new projects? Can you switch from your usual hangout to a non-smoking bar? A few small lifestyle changes can prevent big pitfalls. Reward yourself. We all love instant gratification. So when you're pursuing a long-term goal like weight loss or digging out of debt, short-term rewards will help you power through. Just make sure the rewards jibe with the ultimate goal—don't reward a week of workouts by eating an entire chocolate cake. If you're trying to slim down, for example, Dr. Stettner suggests buying a new outfit you can't squeeze into (yet!) or working out with a friend so the reward is built-in. Don't let setbacks derail you. Spoiler alert: You're human, so you're going to screw up. Don't let it discourage you, and don't use it as an excuse to let the rest of the day (or weekend, or month) go down the tubes. "There are going to be lapses, but a lapse doesn't have to be a collapse or a relapse," Dr. Stettner says. "Seek persistence rather than the dirty P-word, perfection. Don't think, 'I went off the plan today, so I'll start over tomorrow.' Salvage it. Save the day

Fitness at Home

I know it can be tough finding time to work out during the holidays, especially if you have kids at home or guests. You can fit an at home workout in any time of the day and modify it to fit your timeframe. Try this one, warm up for 3 minutes first by stepping side to side and marching in place. Then cool down after with stretching. You will feel refreshed, beat stress and get fit all in one!! Happy at home workout :)

10 Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating

The holiday season is a time to celebrate with family and friends. Unfortunately, for many it also becomes a time for over-eating and weight gain.

Over a lifetime, holiday weight gain can really add up. The holidays don't have to mean weight gain. Focus on a healthy balance of food, activity, and fun. By implementing a few simple tips you can stay healthy through the holiday season.

Ten Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating

1. Be realistic. Don’t try to lose pounds during the holidays, instead try to maintain your current weight.


2. Plan time for exercise. Exercise helps relieve holiday stress and prevent weight gain. A moderate and daily increase in exercise can help partially offset increased holiday eating. Try 10- or 15-minute brisk walks twice a day.


3. Don’t skip meals. Before leaving for a party, eat a light snack like raw vegetables or a piece of fruit to curb your appetite. You will be less tempted to over-indulge.


4. Survey party buffets before filling your plate. Choose your favorite foods and skip your least favorite. Include vegetables and fruits to keep your plate balanced.


5. Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. Savor your favorite holiday treats while eating small portions. Sit down, get comfortable, and enjoy.


6. Be careful with beverages. Alcohol can lessen inhibitions and induce overeating; non-alcoholic beverages can be full of calories and sugar.


7. If you overeat at one meal go light on the next. It takes 500 calories per day (or 3,500 calories per week) above your normal/maintenance consumption to gain one pound. It is impossible to gain weight from one piece of pie!


8. Take the focus off food. Turn candy and cookie making time into non-edible projects like making wreaths, dough art decorations or a gingerbread house. Plan group activities with family and friends that aren’t all about food. Try serving a holiday meal to the community, playing games or going on a walking tour of decorated homes.


9. Bring your own healthy dish to a holiday gathering.


10. Practice Healthy Holiday Cooking. Preparing favorite dishes lower in fat and calories will help promote healthy holiday eating. Incorporate some of these simple-cooking tips in traditional holiday recipes to make them healthier.


• Gravy — Refrigerate the gravy to harden fat. Skim the fat off. This will save a whopping 56 gm of fat per cup.


• Dressing — Use a little less bread and add more onions, garlic, celery, and vegetables. Add fruits such as cranberries or apples. Moisten or flavor with low fat low sodium chicken or vegetable broth and applesauce.


• Turkey – Enjoy delicious, roasted turkey breast without the skin and save 11 grams of saturated fat per 3 oz serving.


• Green Bean Casserole — Cook fresh green beans with chucks of potatoes instead of cream soup. Top with almonds instead of fried onion rings.


• Mashed Potato — Use skim milk, chicken broth, garlic or garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese instead of whole milk and butter.


• Quick Holiday Nog — Four bananas, 1-1/2 cups skim milk or almond milk, 1-1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon rum extract, and ground nutmeg. Blend all ingredients except nutmeg. Puree until smooth. Top with nutmeg.


• Desserts — Make a crustless pumpkin pie. Substitute two egg whites for each whole egg in baked recipes. Replace heavy cream with evaporated skim milk in cheesecakes and cream pies. Top cakes with fresh fruit, fruit sauce, or a sprinkle of powdered sugar instead of fattening frosting.

Enjoy the holidays, plan a time for activity, incorporate healthy recipes into your holiday meals, and don't restrict yourself from enjoying your favorite holiday foods. In the long run, your mind and body will thank you.

Shakeology Benefits

Getting enough protein to build a lean, strong, body is essential. Getting a nutrient-packed, well-balanced meal when you barely have time to stand in one place is also a huge concern. Women are busier today than we’ve ever been. We have demanding careers, children and partners who need our time and attention, causes and organizations to which we’re committed and then….somewhere in there….our own needs to see to as well. The two things most commonly left by the wayside are healthy meals and a good night’s sleep.

Why Use Shakeology

 Shakeology shakes are a solution to both our nutritional needs and our busy schedules. They’re fast, portable and you can customize the ingredients to meet your specific needs and tastes.

Once you have a few favorite recipes on hand, you can choose a shake to suit your mood and your needs. You can get a great post-workout dose of protein and carbs, a nutrient-packed meal on the run or even a healthy and satisfying dessert shake. The flavor variations are limitless and you can use ingredients that deliver the most nutrition and are in season and at their peak.

The ingredients in Shakeology are like no other, and hands down give you a full day's dose of nutrtition without sugar, fillers and synthetic ingredients!

Whatever you do, steer clear of the prepared protein shakes you see on the supermarket shelves. Most of them contain far too much sugar, a ton of artificial ingredients and are made with inferior protein sources.

How to Get the Most Benefit 

Use Shakeology after a workout, or as a meal or snack anytime of the day.

I also strongly urge you to use organic fresh ingredients in your  shakes. Why add chemicals and toxins to your body while you’re trying to nourish it?

When making shakes as a meal replacement or a healthy snack, you can rest assured Shakeolgy contains essential fats already but you can add coconut or almond milk and nut butters. Healthy fats not only help you to feel full and satisfied, they also help your body to metabolize the vitamins and minerals you are taking in.

Berries and other fruits are also great to add to shakes, not only for their taste, but for their vitamin content, particularly their B-vitamins. These and other low-glycemic fruits give you just enough energy and vitamins (plus added fiber) without delivering too much sugar. Aside from berries, bananas, peaches and pineapple are good choices.

When to Use to Get the Most Benefits

You can drink a Shakeology shake anytime you like as long as you’re not overdoing the calories.

A well-balanced shake can mean the difference between a healthy breakfast and no breakfast at all for especially busy mornings. Many women have a hard time getting anything more than coffee into their bodies in the mornings because of the early morning chaos of getting themselves and their kids out the door.

A  shake is a great pre- or post-workout meal option as well. It can supply the nutrients you need to power through your workouts and to deliver protein to your muscles after your strength-training sessions.

You can also use shakes as a healthy dessert or sweet treat.  Much better for you than giving in to that ice cream craving!

3 Day Cleanse

Feeling a little sluggish after Thanksgiving or want a way to help you stay on track through December? You can try the Shakeology 3 day cleanse with me! It's not some crazy detox diet where you starve yourself and take who knows what kind of pills. It's meant to help jumpstart your nutrition and rid your body of bloating and excess. Shakeology is packed full of nutrients, you can get all your veggies for the day in one drink! I absolutely love it!! I have great energy, skin and hair and have been drinking it for a year now. I can't imagine a day without it :) 

During the 3 days you will follow this guide here, Shakeology, green tea and whole foods. Simple enough? :) It's 45$ and can be shipped to you. comment here or email me at tamiwood29@gmail.com for the details to set you up. If you decide you love Shakeology after that you can order full size bags too! I'd love to help you, you will have a free Beachbody account with me as your coach for fitness and nutrition help :)