10 Weeks to a NEW you, October 28th

I am STOKED about Focus T25!  Seriously!  This program is a game changer!  I created MomTime Café because life is always a juggling act and what mom isn’t on the quest for more time?? THE biggest hurdle is NOT working out. What I hear from busy moms is “I don’t have TIME to work out”.  And, I’m with you!  I used to say the same thing!!!  Plus, we tell ourselves lies like "now that I'm a mom my body will never look good again".  But, now there is a program designed JUST for you and one that will get you the results you’ve been longing for!

So, it’s time to answer all the questions I’ve been getting about this new program and what can it do for you. 

Here's the lowdown.

 
What is Focus T25?
 

T25 is the newest in-home fitness program designed to deliver an hour’s worth of results in just 25 minutes!  The program includes 9 different workout DVDs. Each workout is 25 minutes long and you work out just five days a week!   Can I get an "amen?"  The program is 10 weeks long. 

What are the workouts like?
The workouts are fast-paced routines that are jammed pack with dynamic, high-intensity moves designed for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

Do I need special equipment?
No.

Who is this program designed for?

Busy people who want to work out in less time, but still get GREAT results.

I'm a newbie. Can a beginner do this program?
Yes!  Each 25-minute workout includes a person doing a modified version of the exercises.  This “modifier” takes out the “high intensity” from the exercises.  So, for example, if you have knee trouble, you can watch that person do the modified move which keeps the exercise low impact.  This is designed to keep you safe and gives a beginner a good place to start.

I am a seasoned workout pro. Will this program challenge me?
Absolutely!  Any time you mix up your fitness routine, you are confusing your muscles and creating new change for your body.  

Only 25 minutes?  I’m used to longer workouts.  Can I get a good calorie burn with these workouts?
Yes!  If you are a woman, you can expect to burn on average 300 calories or more per workout depending on your level of intensity. 

This program sounds cool, but how can I trust I can get results?
Great question!  This program was designed by Shaun T, creator of Insanity and Hip Hop Abs. All the workouts are designed to give users the best possible results.  Shaun T’s personal training and coaching take the guesswork out.  He tells you EXACTLY what to do and when to do it.  Plus, you get me as your personal coach supporting your journey!  Did you happen to see my fellow coach's results? 

 
So I know working out alone doesn't get someone killer results, so what do I eat on this program?
Glad you asked!  How about a dense daily dose of superfood nutrition?  Yes!  Shakeology is the vital component to your results. Replace one meal a day with Shakeology and curb cravings, increase your energy and give your body the fuel it needs!  The program also comes with a no-nonsense nutrition guide with ideas for the busy person in mind!  Shakeology flavors come in Chocolate, Tropical Strawberry, Greenberry and just out, Vanilla which I’m calling Vanill-Amazing!

T25…Where have you been all my life?  I like what I’m hearing. What now?

I invite you to join my exclusive T25 virtual challenge group!  I’m accepting no more than 10 people to join my virtual group starting on October 28, 2013.  The group will fill up FAST so if you’re thinking on it for a few days, you might get left out.  Don’t get left out!

I’m in, sign me up!

Wait, not so fast!  Just fill out this form for more information and I’ll follow up with you in less than 24 hours. Don’t order anything yet!  Let’s talk to make sure this is the right choice for you! 

FitBit Flex Newbie Review

Have you ever noticed that the most successful people in life are “trackers”.  If someone wants to grow their wealth, they track their spending.  If someone wants a good running time in their next marathon, they track their time.  Tracking isn’t a glamorous life and it doesn’t exactly lend itself to spontaneity, but successful people are trackers.  They are disciplined and they know their numbers.

Over time, I have come to realize the importance of tracking my health and fitness.  As simple as I can state it, if you want to lose weight or maintain it, you need to know how many calories you are burning and how many you are eating every day. It's easy math, calories in must be less than calories out. Tracking these items doesn’t address whether or not the calories you are eating come from “clean food”.  That’s another topic for another day, but for a beginner, this is a good place to start. :)

It's like Christmas

So the “Analog Girl” (me) decided to pick up a FitBit Flex because I wanted to try to be a little more connected to my health and fitness – and wearing it on my wrist provides a nice visual reminder of the commitment I have made to myself.  I’m not very tech savvy, so I’m sharing my non-technical review, but if you’re less technical than me, you may have some questions, so please ask away. Three years ago I was just starting my fitness journey, so I’m always wearing those glasses when writing these posts.

Here is my non techie, beginners review on FitBit Flex: 

1. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE TECH SAVVY.  It takes about 20 minutes to set up your new Flex.  If you have an iPhone or a Droid, you can install an app on your phone which allows you to see your progress.  The installation is simple and easy to follow.  You can also log into your FitBit account via the website to see your progress from any computer.
2. IT TRACKS YOUR STEPS.  I receive lots of questions on where to start a fitness journey.  Most times, people want to start simple, so I suggest walking.  Flex allows you to see how many steps you walk per day.  You can set a daily goal (I recommend 10,000) and shoot for it everyday.  If you have friends with the Flex (ADD ME!), you can “sync up” with them and start some friendly competition to see who is racking up the most steps per week.  I love this and find myself doing more because I want to see myself reach a goal.  My Flex “lights up” and vibrates for a few seconds when I achieve it. Yay!
3. HELPS SET OTHER GOALS.  A built-in pedometer is just one cool feature.  You can set other goals like how many calories you burn per day, how many “Very Active” minutes you want to achieve and see your weight progress.
4. SYNCS UP WITH MYFITNESSPAL.COM.  I love www.myfitnesspal.com.  I track my daily calories in that program.  It’s a great place to log your food and focus on meeting a daily calorie intake goal.  Since I use this app on my phone, daily, I love the fact that myfitnesspal syncs up to my Flex app.  This sounds technical, but actually quite easy to set up! 
5. TRACKS YOUR SLEEP. Are you getting enough sleep? We have all heard that it’s important for adults to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.  It’s true.  Our bodies need the rest and they do a lot of repairing while we are asleep.  The Flex tracks sleep.  I probably love this feature the most because I really didn’t have an accurate idea of how many hours a night I was sleeping or how “soundly” I was sleeping.  Turns out, I’m not getting enough - only 6 hours on average.  I wake up at least 6-9 times a night – and even more if I’m not wearing my mouth-guard (nice, huh?).  You better believe I am working to get more sleep now that I know…and that mouth-guard is going in every night now versus just when I would think about it.

   

   it's sleek and stylish

Would I recommend buying the Flex?  Yes.  But, it’s just one tool.   

An important tool that often gets overlooked is a heart rate monitor.  I innocently bought the Flex, thinking that it would accurately track the calories I am burning in my daily workouts and that is not the case.  The Flex is not a heart rate monitor.  So, I use a HRM when I work out and enter the calories I burned into my app.  Everything syncs up and I love seeing a daily picture of my health and fitness.

If you have any questions about the Flex, let me know.  I’d also love to hear how you are using yours.    

The Beauty of Using Nutrition Guides

I’ll be honest, I have never spent tons of time reading food labels.  Being a “skinny” girl for all my life, I have never really needed to pay attention to food.  And, what I mean by that is - the calories, the sugar, the fat content, all of it.  I have been pretty blessed with good height and genes, but no matter how thin you are in your youth, it catches up to you if you’re not watching.  A year ago, I decided to take more interest in my health and diet and each day since then, I am learning more and more about “clean” eating and the types of food I put in my body.

From time to time, I hear from people who are using a workout program (in most cases a Beachbody program that I recommend), but are not losing weight. The first question I ask is, “are you following the nutrition guide that came with your program”. Most of the time the answer is “no”. This confirms for me that we should leave it to the experts to recommend meal plans and recipes for us, at least until we figure out what is good and not good for us to eat.

All of the Beachbody programs I have used (P90X, Insanity, ChaLEAN Extreme to name a few) come with a nutrition guide.  These guides take the guesswork out of what I am supposed to be eating and help create a realistic, workable plan for my busy life.

Of note, I am thankful for the guide that Chalene Johnson put together in ChaLEAN Extreme. It’s like she crafted to recipes just for me, the busy mom who never has any time to prepare food! The recipes require basic, inexpensive ingredients and do not take much time to prepare. As a result, I am more inclined to make them, therefore I’m not only eating healthy, but so is my family.  Who doesn’t love Balsalmic Flank Steak and Faux Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Chicken Kabobs and Chicken Bruschetta?  Great tasting meals that will keep you trim and on target with your goals.

Why I drink Shakeology

Have you heard of Shakeology?

What a special treasure that many people do not know about YET!  I found out about it last summer.  I was just about finished with my first round of P90X and was eating well according to the nutrition plan, but had a friend tell me about this new health shake and the amazing benefits of it!  I had never thought about supplements much and how they could improve my health and fitness results and overall life.

What is Shakeology?

In a nutsell, Shakeology is a meal replacement shake and its packed with 70 vitamins and nutrients.  Benefits include weight loss, lowering cholesterol, increasing energy, improved digestion and regularity to name a few.

With my friend’s endorsement and after I winced a wee bit at the price, I determined it was worth a shot! http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/lindsayandrews

Getting started with Shakeology

For me personally, I didn’t see much difference in the first few months of drinking the shake.  While it tastes like heaven (think of a chocolate shake and mix in your favorite goodnesses like peanut butter, bananas, strawberries in it), I didn’t need to lose any weight as a result of it so was really unsure why I needed to drink it.  BUT, I kept drinking it because I knew it was the best nutrition I could put in my body…period!

Why I must now have Shakeology EVERY DAY:

I have been drinking Shakeology for almost a year now…and what I can tell you is that the long-term benefits have been worth it!  Here is what I have experienced:

Increased energy!  Never in my life have I had so much energy.  I can get through each day without feeling so exhausted when it’s time to go to bed!  I am a working mom and wife and like most women have a bazillion things going on in my life.  I don’t always have time to eat properly.  It’s perfect for lunch or dinner on the run!

Improved digestion and regularity.  I have been an IBS sufferer for years!  Most of this changed when I changed jobs five years ago, but I was still battling with regularity.  Did you know that 10-20% of the world’s population suffers from IBS - and mostly it’s women?  Shakeology has changed that for me.  It’s funny to write about, but I am regular and consistent.  Thank God!

These have been the benefits I have experienced - for others, it could be lowered cholesterol (no meds, anyone?) and weight loss.




Is it safe to drink while pregnant?

When I found out I was pregnant last fall, I brought in a sample packet of shakeology for my OB to review the ingredient list. I tell all pregnant moms to do this. My OB was impressed with the ingredients in Shakeology. He is a serious fitness buff (major weight lifter) and was like, “It’s even got the maca in it?!” He said that while there isn’t anything scientific that says why I should or should not drink it, he is hard pressed to find any reason why I couldn’t drink it and said that in lieu of taking a prenatal vitamin, i could drink shakeology instead. I have to take a folic acid supplement - but I will do this instead of taking those giant prenatal vitamins!

Disclaimer:  This was my OB talking to me. I don’t have a complicated health history…everything healthwise has been normal for me.  

I love sharing this product with people, because it is truly special.

For more information on Shakeology and the benefits of super foods, check out the May article entitled, “Good Morning, World” in Oprah Magazine or contact me.

Only 8 more weeks to go...

Tomorrow is a major milestone in my pregnancy.  I only have 8 weeks to go until I deliver a beautiful baby boy!

I have to be honest, initially, this pregnancy was a little rough on me from a mental standpoint.  When I found out I was pregnant I was at my ideal health and fitness. I had never been so in shape than I had at that point.  Knowing that I was going to pack on the pounds again and have to restart the climb all over in 9 months had me a little down.

What I quickly discovered though, was that I knew I could do lose the weight again. I had done it before.  Pre-pregnancy, I lost 20 lbs and got down to 11% body fat - down from 22%.  One might say that I didn’t have a lot of weight to lose on my tall frame, but I really was at a great place and felt fantastic thanks to P90X, Chalene Extreme AND Shakeology.

Keeping up with my diet and exercise has been good through the pregnancy - although I could have done better.  I try to walk/exercise at least once a day, but as the pregnancy has progressed, that has tapered off.  I used programs like Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Jam and Brazil Butt Lift (although I hear Yoga Booty Ballet is also a good one, I have never used it)  My diet has been ok too - I have given into temptations that I would have not done pre-pregnancy, but that’s ok.  Shakeology has helped pick up the slack and gives me the best nutrition I know I can get for me and the little one.

Everyone says the weight will melt off because I have been exercising.  We will see.  Regardless, I am ready to work hard and extreme again!