Working Out on the Holidays

                                   

Merry Christmas everyone!! 

The holidays have made their way around and I wonder how many people are thinking about still getting their workout in, even on Christmas?? While most people are thinking about nothing but food, there still should be no reason to not treat it like any other day. You can still find ways to get your exercise in for the day. 

Most importantly, you have to have planned it. It is good to stick to the schedule if you have one. It can be so tempting to get off track so the best thing you can do is get it done first thing in the morning.

Alarm buzzer goes off. Don't hit snooze, get up and get to it!

Since there may be a lot going in your household, walk and move around as much as you can. Try to do any and every activity that involves burning calories and make sure to drink your water.

PLEASE don't overdo your amounts of servings! This is important to not get yourself so stuffed that you're uncomfortable. It can be tempting but eat several times during the day. Once again, include water before you eat to help you not overeat.

It would even be fun to organize some types of game that you and your family can play. Remember, it will be so tempting to sit still after you've eaten and got full, but don't give in! 

Just follow these tips and you'll be set. Enjoy the holidays!! 

Merry Christmas!



-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

How To Lose Weight In A Week

                                             

Most people want to lose weight as fast as possible. While there is no super sonic way to lose weight, there are a few things you can do to help you get a jump start and start to see some results pretty fast. No matter what "quick fix" you try to do, you should make lifestyle changes to see ongoing and constant results. The three things that center around being healthy and maintaining are: diet, exercise, and adequate sleep. Without these things, you are pretty much setting yourself up for failure. There are no magic pills, no fad diets, or potions that beat the most natural and long lasting remedies of eating right and working out! So here are a few tips to get you started on your way.

• Take out absolutely everything in your diet that is not water. Drink, think, and sleep water. (Even drinking water before you eat will help suppress hunger and prevent you from overeating.)
• EAT BREAKFAST. Most people don't realize how skipping breakfast can do harm to your body and leave you with minimal energy for the rest of the day.
• Consume plenty of protein such as chicken breasts, eggs, fish, and nuts.
• Exercise for 1 hour everyday. Add in cardio and interval training.
• If you don't usually get much sleep, try sleeping for at LEAST 7 hours.
• Try to aim for walking 5,000 steps everyday.
• Get all the motivation you can because exercising and eating right with others can help keep you accountable and make the transition that much easier.

If motivation, meal planning, and accountability are a things that will enable you to get on the ball with your transformation, please visit beachbodycoach.com/ashleyrobinson and let's chat! 

-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

Reasons Why Your Diet Isn't Working

                                     


Some people tend to do all the right things when it comes to weight loss. They exercise, seemingly make healthy food choices, but something is still missing. The weight seems to be at a standstill.

Well there are a few reasons why what you're doing may not be working. Read below.

1) You have to make sure you don't do too much of a certain thing. For example, over working yourself can do harm to your body. You have to give yourself rest days so your muscles can work. When eating, it is OK to have a cheat meal every now and then during the week so you don't completely undercut yourself.

2) Chronic hunger is a big issue. Feeling hungry right after you just ate, will indicate to you that you aren't full, which will cause you to keep eating until you have no more room. Now you have caused your stomach to be overstuffed, which is not a comfortable feeling.

3) You have to realize that resentful, emotional, and deprivation eating can really ruin things. But if you just allow yourself a "not so harmful" snack every now and then (fruits, nuts, Shakeology, etc) without feeling so guilty, then you'll have a better chance at maintaining. You will easily avoid the weight roller coaster.

4) Stop worrying about when people tell you that you don't need to lose weight or you look fine. When you let the influence of others get to you, you may end up losing focus on reaching your weight loss goals. STAY FOCUSED! 

5) You are working out and then eating a super huge meal overdone with calories, fat, and sodium. I run into so many people who for some reason do such a great workout and then ruin it with a bad meal afterwards. Your health is 30% exercise and 70% diet. That should tell you something. Be careful when choosing your post workout meals. 

-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

The Worst Holiday Foods to Eat

                                 
                               


The holidays are such a great time of the year to enjoy time with your family and eat scrumptious foods. Because we're in the moment, we may not realize that some of these snacks and appetizers may not be the healthiest thing to indulge in. Check out some of the foods that can have a big impact on your diet.

1) Nuts are definitely good for you, but can be packed with calories and salt. They're a good choice of a snack to keep you full but you have to make sure you eat them in proportion.

2) Soups that are cream based aren't the best way to go. They are filled with an unbelievabe amount of sodium and average about 160 calories per serving. Choose the clear soups like vegetable and broth.

3) Pigs in a blanket, an extremely popular appetizer, are easy and quick to make. The sad news is that just one gets you 200 calories! Try your best to limit how many you eat.

4) Vegetable egg rolls seem like a good choice but they aren't all that healthy. They are soaked in oil, sauce, and then deep fried. Avoid those if you can.

5) Spinach dip with chips is another popular dish. However, when you add in the cream cheese and sour cream AND the fried tortilla chips, you're already loaded with calories.

Some of these appetizers and snacks seem so innocent, but after all the extra stuff is put in, here come loads of calories, fat, and sodium. Make sure to enjoy the holidays with glee, but watch your food proportion and avoid seconds and thirds if you can.


-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

Workout Myths Debunked

                               



Your workout buddy, a friend, a coach, heck even a personal trainer, there are some "tips" given about the most efficient workouts and they're not always right. Some of them may be keeping you from getting the most out of your workout. Here are a few tips from fitness experts to keep you away from the exercise traps out there. 

1. "Ab machines" or doing hundreds of reps of crunches will zap your belly fat. Sitting on the floor doing hundreds of crunches or using one of those gimmicky ab machines is certainly not going to get you a ripped 6 pack. You're going to have to use variety in your workouts, especially cardio and strength training exercises. The key is to decrease the amount of overall body fat. 
2. Swimming is a great way to lose weight. I know this from experience. Swimming ALWAYS makes me hungry afterwards and I could eat a whole cow. You would have to swim for hours a day to actually see weight loss results.
3. If you're not drenching in sweat, you're not working hard enough. Sweat is just your body's way of cooling itself and everyone's sweat glands are different. I personally sweat like the sun is directly on me but my mom barely sweats at all and we both work hard.
4. Work through the pain. Everyone knows the slogan, "No pain, no gain." However, if you're hurting while you are working out, that is not a good sign. It's okay if you are sore after your workouts, but during your workouts, stop and rest if you feel pain. 
5. Running on the treadmill is better than running on asphalt. The two show the same results. The best way to keep less stress off of your knees and joints is to vary it up. Try an elliptical machine or a stationary bike to help your knees in the long run. 

-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

Stay Fit for Thanksgiving

                                       


Thanksgiving will be here in less than 24 hours! I can't wait to dig in and feast all day long! However, even though I plan to indulge like crazy, it doesn't mean I can't still be cautious to make sure I don't tip over the scale and ruin my diet. When the holidays roll around, you have to make you keep yourself in check and still get some kind of physical activity and don't give your food time to stick. Check out a few ways to ensure you don't go overboard.


* A simple way to get some physical activity in is to take a mile walk before and after dinner. Piece of cake!

* Make sure to still eat breakfast! Don't wait until feast hours until you fill your stomach up with food.

* You can have most of these foods all year long, so pass up on the seconds and thirds.

* PORTION OFF YOUR FOOD! Get a little of everything and don't overdo it!

* Alcohol calories can add up quickly, so go easy.

* Be sure to savor every bite. Don't rush through your meal.

* Think about weigh maintenance instead of weight loss, that way you'll be more likely to make better decisions.

Follow these tips and once the feast is over and it's back to reality, you will have kept your weight in check! 

                                   

-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

No Guilt Thanksgiving Desserts

                                              

The big feast is coming! All of the turkey, dressing, macaroni and cheese, ham, and more, it is going to be the hardest thing ever to keep yourself from over stuffing. You haven't even made it to the dessert yet! Thanksgiving isn't complete without all of the yummy desserts, so how can you still enjoy without taking it over the top? Read about a few desserts that will leave you feeling guilt free.

1) Pecan pie: only 456 calories per slice

2) Apple pie: only 411 calories per slice

3) Pumpkin pie: only 323 calories per slice

4) Sweet Potato pie: only 340 calories per slice

5) Cheesecake: only 257 calories per slice (My favorite. Yummy :))

So even though you have filled your stomach to the maximum capacity, you can hopefully make more room a while after your food has digested to indulge in some low calorie, guilt free Thanksgiving desserts!

-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

Superfood Nutrition

                                               

When I ordered my Beachbody challenge pack, I also received "Shakeology, the healthiest meal of the day." It is supposed to be nutrition simplified. There are over 70 natural ingredients packed into this one dense shake and it is has tons of benefits to gain better health. Knowing that more than most of us get nowhere near the correct amount of daily nutrition, I was eager to know what Shakeology could do for me and how it could assure that I got my daily nutrition doses. Well here is what it did for me:

* It literally helped reduce my cravings to where I wasn't as hungry between meals. I went from eating cereal, pancakes and eggs, or something on the go, to making Shakeology my breakfast and I was set for the day! I felt that it set me to make better eating decisions, which of course went hand in hand with my exercise.

* As if I didn't have enough energy already, my energy levels were boosted even more. I don't really know how, but because I was committed to making sure I drank my Shakeology for breakfast and kept with my meal plan, my body ran more smoothly. I never really felt groggy and I had enough energy to last me all day.

* I could definitely vouch for the fact that my regularity improved because my body knew what it was getting and I like I said before, it was running like it is supposed to. When you feed your body right, it does right to you. 

* There are a few flavors you can choose from and since I like everything strawberry, I chose the tropical vegan flavor. I'm not a vegan but that doesn't have anything to do with whether or not you can drink that flavor. It was so good and I had so many recipes that I used everyday. My favorite one was simple: ice, orange juice, fresh strawberries, fresh bananas and a scoop of Shakeology. Yummy!

* Last but not least, it was only $4 a serving! Much cheaper than what I would spend at a drive thru getting a calorie tornado meal! 

                                             

You won't believe what Shakeology can do for you until you try it!

Click the banner at the top of the site or visit beachbodycoach.com/ashleyrobinson

-Stay Heatthy, Stay Happy

Easy Ways to Burn More Fat

                                                

Believe it or not, the answer to losing weight and melting the fat away is not eating less. You may lose weight if you don't eat, but that's not good for your health at all. You need more nutrient dense food to prevent you from consuming empty calories and feeling fuller longer. Here are more ways to boost that metabolism and start slimming down in no time.


* You are going to have to get your sleep. I can't stress how important it is for you how many benefits a good night's rest can do for you. And please try to sleep for at least 7 hours.

* Add more protein to your diet with lean meats, fish, nuts, and low fat yogurt. There are many other sources of protein that you can choose from.

* It is extremely hard to be active at work, especially when you have a job that requires you to be seated all day. So whenever you possibly can, get up and move around. You would be surprised of all the ways you can burn calories while doing simple tasks. See totalfitclub.blogspot.com/2013/10/if-youve-got-15-minutes-burn-100.html 

* Drinking super cold water works because it takes work to heat the water to your body temperature. 

* Eating breakfast will give you the leg up when it comes to boosting your metabolism. It really is the healthiest meal of the day. Honestly since I can't always get eggs and toast in for breakfast, I drink my cup of Strawberry Shakeology everyday and I'm assured that I got my nutrients and energy for the day.

* Try to aim for about 25 grams of fiber everyday, and one way is to eat 3 servings of fruits and vegetables. 

* Staying hydrated works wonders. You'd be surprised if you asked people how much water they honestly don't drink everyday. 

* Vitamin D. Get it from milk, eggs, the sun, cereal, and fish.

* The antioxidants in tea and coffee help rev up your metabolism 5 to 12 percent. 


Try these easy ways to burn more fat and rev up your metabolism!

-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

The Worst Snacks for Weight Loss

                                             

Did you know that we consume nearly 600 calories a day from snacks (unhealthy) alone? You see, we don't realize how easy it is to pick up a bag of chips or cookies instead of some nuts or fruits. Eating junk food snacks is almost embedded in us and it would take a conscious effort to make the healthier decision. Now, there are tons of snacks out there that are deceiving and you think they're healthy but they're really not. It's just a case of false advertisement. :(. Below are a few snacks that you can swap out for healthier ones.

Put down the can of diet soda, and instead drink unsweetened sparkling water and add your own fruit.
- The artificial sweeteners in sodas is linked to increased weight gain and negatively impacts your metabolism. It also throws off your brain's ability to regulate your appetite. You could do your body so much better by replacing soft drinks with water and juices. 


Make your own smoothies, rather than buying a bottled smoothie from the supermarket.
- Whenever you use all fresh and natural ingredients, you are getting way more nutrition than when you buy the concentrated bottled smoothies. They may look good and tell you that the ingredients are all natural, but it's mostly filled with preservatives and extracts. Nothing beats nutrition coming straight from the original source. 

Try making your own fruit yogurt, instead of buying the fruit flavored yogurt. 
- Yogurt from Yoplait may only have 100 calories and tons of yummy flavors to choose from, but it's also filled with high sugar flavoring and doesn't provide a healthy dose of protein. Try putting your own fruit slices in plain Greek yogurt. 

Trade the pretzels for salted, shelled pistachios.
- Pretzels are packed with sodium and excess sodium isn't good for your health and can make way for high blood pressure to come about. Pistachios have twice the protein and three times the fiber, so you'll also be fuller longer. 

When craving something sweet, eat a fruit and nut bar rather than trail mix.
- You may ending eating way more calories than you intended when you unintentionally keep sticking your hand in that bag of trail mix. It tastes good and seems to have a few "healthy" things mixed together, but you can;t go wrong with a fruit and nut bar. Since it comes in a single serving package, you won't be adding on the extra calories. 

Sometimes all it takes is making smarter choices one at a time, and soon you will have a complete clean and healthy diet on auto-pilot! You'll be picking up healthier options and getting rid of the snacks that add way to much sugar and too many calories.

If you want a supercharged, nutrition filled meal everyday that ensures a boost of energy and weight loss, you have to try the healthiest meal of the day, Shakeology. It truly reduces your cravings, boosts your metabolism, keeps you regulated and so much more! For more information, visit myshakeology.com/ashleyrobinson. 
  

-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

The Answer to Weight Loss and Better Nutrition

                                          

It can be very hard to eat clean and make sure you get the recommended amount of nutrition from fruits and vegetables. Did I forget to mention expensive? All of those organic ingredients can add up quick! What if I told you there was a way to get over 70 natural ingredients in one product? What if you could replace one of your meals and be assured that you are getting your daily dose of nutrition? You normally spend more than $5 on a meal and more than likely it is overloaded with calories and fat! So why not spend less than that to ensure that at least one of your meals is a dense serving of the greatest value nutrition of the day? 

Drum roll please!....................................................................................

Introducing SHAKEOLOGY! 

First let me tell you what Shakeology does for you.

• It reduces hunger and food cravings
• It helps repair and build muscles
• It boosts energy levels and maintains a healthy immune system
• Your absorption of nutrients is increased
• It aids in digestion
• It promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails
• You get your necessary vitamins everyday and it makes up for dietary deficiencies. 
• And might I add, it tastes so good! Much better than other health shakes.

I drink mine for breakfast and I absolutely love it! My favorite recipe is the Strawberry vegan flavor (it's even okay for lactose intolerant people) with a few cubes of ice, fresh fruit (usually bananas, strawberries, and pineapples) and a cup of fresh orange juice. It has enough calories to keep me full for at least TWO hours. So many people have seen awesome results with their workout regimen and a serving of Shakeology everyday! 

You can't really deny the fact that you are more than likely not close to getting your daily dose of nutrition by following the food pyramid, so why not get it all in one place? To find out more information about all of the benefits of what this super shake can do for you, visit myshakeology.com/ashleyrobinson.

-Stay Healthy, Stay Happy