Breakfast Brings Results

Big Breakfasts for Big Results

Breakfast!!! It's my favorite meal and I wake up looking forward to it each day! I wanted to share this article with you on why it's also so important for good health. Here's to Breakfast!

It seems like forever since Mom told us breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but one study shows it's actually true—she wasn't just nagging us. Breakfast is a key component of weight management: A study presented at the 90th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society showed that participants who consumed large breakfasts high in protein and carbohydrates followed by a low-carb, low calorie diet for the rest of the day lost almost five times as much weight as the participants who followed a low-carb, high-protein diet throughout the day. So what's the big deal about breakfast? And what is a big breakfast anyway? It doesn't seem like the lumberjack special at the local diner would do much to get the pounds off, so what should we be eating? The study supported the idea that when we wake up in the morning, our bodies want food. You've burned through all the fuel from the previous day, and now your body's ready to burn anything—even muscle—to get a jump-start on the day. And if you skip breakfast, muscle is indeed what your body will burn. Later in the day, your brain is still in starvation mode from breakfast (or lack thereof), so your body will store all the calories you eat as adipose tissue, or fat, to save up for the next day when you try to starve it again. This study also found that levels of serotonin, the chemical responsible for controlling cravings, were much higher in the morning, which is why breakfast is the meal so many of us are willing to skip. But if our bodies are left unfed, our serotonin levels drop, and our bodies' craving for sweets begin to rise throughout the day. But before you hit McDonald's for their 800-calorie Big Breakfast, or worse, their 1,150-calorie Deluxe Breakfast, or swing by Denny's for a 740-calorie Grand Slam or 950-calorie All-American Slam with hash browns, keep in mind, these weren't the breakfasts the study participants consumed. The big-breakfast group had a 610-calorie breakfast as part of a 1,240-calorie day. Breakfasts included milk, lean meat, cheese, whole grains, a serving of healthy fat, and one ounce of chocolate or candy to defray the craving for sweets. The other group's participants consumed 1,085 calories per day as part of a high-protein, low-carb diet; only 290 of their daily calories were consumed at breakfast. Both groups were on their respective diets for eight months. The high-protein group lost an average of nine pounds, but the big-breakfast group lost an average of 40 pounds. And, perhaps not surprisingly, the big-breakfast group complained less about cravings and hunger. The big-breakfast group's breakfast consisted of 58 grams of carbs, 47 grams of protein, and 22 grams of fat. Study reviewers attribute some of the success of the big-breakfast group to the fact that the protein and healthy fats eaten kept the participants full and reduced cravings. They also said that nutritional requirements were well met and that there weren't empty calories consumed, because the breakfasts included lots of whole grains, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy unsaturated fats. So bad news for the lumberjack-special devotees—a big plate of greasy hash browns, bacon, and biscuits with gravy isn't going to get the job done, unless the job we're discussing is clogging your arteries. Here are some healthy big breakfasts, similar to the ones consumed by the study's participants. Chicken and the Egg 2 large eggs, scrambled 2 slices whole wheat toast 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled 1 grapefruit 589 calories, 52 grams carbohydrates, 48 grams protein, 19 grams fat, 5.5 grams saturated fat, 12 grams fiber. Oats 'n' Berries Breakfast 1 packet plain instant oatmeal, prepared, with 1 scoop Beachbody® Whey Protein Powder 1 cup fresh blueberries 3 oz. roasted turkey breast 1 large hard-boiled egg 1 oz. dark chocolate 631 calories, 62 grams carbohydrates, 47 grams protein, 21 grams fat. 8 grams saturated fat, 10 grams fiber. Two Egg Sandwiches 2 whole wheat English muffins, toasted 2 large poached eggs 2 slices low-fat Swiss cheese 2 slices Canadian bacon, grilled 597 calories, 57 grams carbohydrates, 45 grams protein, 13 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 8 grams fiber. Vegetarian Breakfast 1 cup cottage cheese (2% milk fat) 1 cup sliced peaches, canned in juice, not syrup 1 slice whole wheat toast 1/2 avocado 2 vegetarian sausage links, cooked 621 calories, 62.5 grams carbohydrates, 47 grams protein, 26.5 grams fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat, 16.5 grams fiber. Pescetarian Breakfast 1 6-oz. can light tuna, canned in water, drained 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (preferably olive oil- or canola oil-based) 2 slices whole wheat toast 1 oz. dark chocolate 592 calories, 45 grams carbohydrates, 51 grams protein, 22 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 10 grams fiber. Eating a big breakfast is a great way to keep your hunger at bay for hours. But, if you’re not a fan or big morning meals – or if cooking a big breakfast doesn't fit into your morning schedule – consider a glass of Shakeology. It’s got plenty of protein and is packed with healthy ingredients that will keep you full and satisfied all morning.

Tips For Those Late Night Munchies

How many times do you work hard all day, eat right, and then lose your willpower late at night? Don't sabotage your hard work! Before you open the fridge or pantry door to hunt for your late-night snack, take a minute to think about how much happier you'll feel in the morning if you don't indulge.

Here are 4 ways to help crush your late-night cravings:
1. Herbal tea
It's warm, satisfying, will help you sleep, and has zero calories!

2. Relaxation
Take a couple of minutes to sit, breathe, and quiet your mind. You might be surprised to find your cravings melt away.

3. Stretching
This not only helps your body unwind from the day, but it also puts you in tune with what your body really needs. After stretching, your body feels relaxed and connected, and usually the last thing it wants in this state is food.

4. Healthy Food
If you truly are hungry, try an apple and some thick cut oatmeal with cinnamon. The apple is sweet and crunchy and the oatmeal is warm and relaxing.

If you'd like to learn more about healthy eating you can fill out my form here so that I can get to know you and help you achieve success!!
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What is the 3 Day Refresh?

What is the 3 Day Refresh? Check out this video and the link below!

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5 Ways To Break A Weight Loss Plateau

You're tracking calories, working out each day, then bam! For a week or two, the scale refuses to budge...and you realize you've hit a dreaded weight loss plateau. Now what?

Even though it's completely normal to hit a snag in your fitness journey, a perceived setback like this can send even the most dedicated dieter off course, away from healthy eating and toward cookies, cake, and pizza. But you can be strong and start getting back on the weight-loss track again. Try at least one of the following techniques, and there's a good chance you'll burst through your plateau in no time. Here is an article I really wanted to share from Justine Holberg at Beachbody.

Here are five important things to know about hydration and exercise:
1. Zigzag your daily calorie intake.
In theory, you've got to eat less to lose more, but this isn't always the case. Sometimes you just have to shake things up. Here's one way to do it: If your average daily intake is 1,400 calories, try dropping to 1,200 one day, going up to 1,800 the next day, and then dropping back to 1,400. The idea is to keep your metabolism guessing. There's no magic number that works for everyone, so you'll have to experiment until you find the right calorie levels for you.
According to Beachbody Director of Results Steve Edwards, what happens when you zigzag is that you force your body to choose how many calories it needs to recover from the rigors of your exercise program. "Most people who hit a plateau are undereating. If you are indeed undereating, adding calories for a few days, then lowering them again, will help you force your body into a hormonal response that will not only help you break out of a plateau, but—as you learn to recognize the signals—will teach you how much food you should be eating."

2. Switch up your exercise routine.
If you do the same workout each day, eventually it can start to become less challenging, and (unfortunately) less effective. If you push yourself to new levels of strength or exhaustion, you'll almost certainly see a shift. Here are some ways you can challenge your body:

• Swap your jog for a bike ride.
• Try weights with your cardio routine. (ChaLEAN Extreme® or RevAbs® can help you do this.)
• Add intervals of high intensity to really make you sweat. (INSANITY® is a great workout for this.)
• Drop to the floor for 10 push-ups right now!

The idea is to try something different. According to Edwards, "The better you get at something, the easier it becomes. That's why we're always telling you to add more weight as you get stronger, and to move faster and jump higher as our programs progress. But it's also why all of our programs have phases of training. As your body adapts to stimulus, you need to change that stimulus in order to keep results happening."

3. Eat some almonds.
Almonds are a great snack, plus there's some research that indicates that they can help you burn fat. That's because they contain fiber and fatty acids—the good kind of fat that helps you lose weight. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity compared two groups of people who ate a 1,000-calorie-a-day diet. As part of their daily diet, one group ate 3 ounces of almonds every day. The other group ate a mix of complex carbs. What happened? The group that ate the almonds lost more weight.

So next time you grab a snack, try a small handful of almonds, or as Edwards says, "Any nut, really. While almonds are one of the better nuts, all of them have a similar nutritional profile and make excellent snacks. That research probably would have turned out similarly if they'd used walnuts or filberts or whatever."

4. Get more sleep.
This may seem like the opposite of number 2, but the truth is is that you could be training too hard, which is about the quickest way to hit a weight loss plateau, because an over-trained body holds on to weight as if it were starving to death. There's no better way to test this than to try and sleep more. The reason is that your body recovers much more quickly from exercise while it's asleep, and if you're burning the midnight oil while trying to do INSANITY, you could easily plateau from lack of recovery time.

In a recent study at the University of Chicago Medical School, researchers found that during a period when study participants were deprived of sleep, they metabolized glucose less effectively. Additionally, they had higher levels of the hormone cortisol, which has been shown to impair memory, increase insulin resistance, and slow recovery in athletes. "There's a good reason why five-time Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx said, 'The Tour is won in bed,'" says Edwards. Your body's recovery response during deep sleep is only rivaled by performance-enhancing drugs. When you're on the borderline of overtraining, getting more sleep is the first thing anyone should try."

5. Relax.
Believe it or not, the one big thing besides diet and exercise that can cause you to plateau is stress. When you're stressed, your body sends out higher levels of the hormone cortisol that, as stated in number 4, can encourage your body to hang on to fat. "Cortisol is actually a performance-enhancing hormone," says Edwards. "But it's gotten a bad rap because we've begun living our lives at too high a volume. Cortisol is released at times when the body is in an emergency state. It increases performance, but only over a short period of time. When cortisol is released and forced into action at regular intervals, it causes your body to wear down and switch to more drastic means of survival, like holding on to excess amounts of body fat. Your life shouldn't feel like one big emergency. As a society, we need to learn to be more tranquilo, as the Spanish say."

We get stressed for many reasons, almost all of which are influenced by the society around us. One of the best ways to combat stress is to get some alone time to chill. If you're the type who can't let go, try some forced relaxation techniques, of which yoga seems to be one of the most effective. There's something special about the mind/body interaction of yoga that forces a relaxed state even from the most stressed of us.

If you feel you need a lot of help, dig into an intense course, like P90X Yoga X. For others, something lighter, like Yoga Booty Ballet® Pure and Simple Yoga, will do the trick. If you're not into yoga, then consider at least adding some stretching into your schedule. Most of Beachbody's programs have at least one stretching session. TurboFire® even has two!

Tips To Drink More Water

Water!! So you've heard the benefits, you know it's crucial for your health, but are you still finding it hard to make drinking water a habit?
Here are a few fun tips that may just get you going.

1. Use a straw
2.Buy a pretty bottle
3.Set an alarm every hour to remind you
4. Add fruit or cucumber
5. Have 1 cup before each meal

6. Have 1 cup every time you go to the bathroom
7. Have 2 cups before bed
8. Compete with a friend
9. Fill a 64 oz bottle and finish it every day
10. For every non-water beverage you have, drink 2 glasses

I hope this helps you! Sometimes just changing up our normal routine and adding something fun and different is all it takes. Drink away!! If you'd like help with this as well as healthy eating choices or fitness, fill out my support group application here:
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No Bake Energy Bites

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats 
• 6 tbsp sunflower seed butter (any nut butter should work)
• 1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal (You can always just grind whole flaxseeds as well)
• 1/4 maple syrup (honey would work)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  

21 Day Fix Group For Summer

Ready for Summer? If you're like me, you'll have a few trips, and lots of outdoor fun! You may be wondering how to stay fit and eat right without alot of worry, counting and long workouts.
I'm so glad to be able to share with you, The 21 Day Fix. It's an exercise program and nutritional guidance with easy portion control. The workouts are 30 minutes long and last for 21 days.
Simple, attainable and flexible for your summer plans!! Who wouldn't love this!
I am starting an exclusive summer support group on June 30th. It's a private Facebook group where you'll have me as your coach every day!

Nutrition can be the hardest part which is why I love The 21 Day Fix so much! The color coded containers correspond to food groups. So you just choose the foods you'd like to eat and use the containers as your portion control. This comes with Shakeology and a shaker cup as well. Shakeology is  Superfood drink with 70 amazing and healthy ingredients, all without sugar or artificial sweeteners.

I would love to have you join me! You can do 21 days! I even have 5 GIVEAWAYS++++ for the first 5 people who sign up for this special group. So gather your friends, neighbors and family and do it as a team! You'll feel healthier and be able to enjoy your summer. Please fill out this application and we'll get you all ready to go for June 30th.

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