Thursday, February 9, 2012

Have Your 2012 Fitness Resolutions Gone Off Course

When the New Year approaches, many people want to make a fresh start and set new goals for themselves. Two of the most common ones are to lose weight and get into better shape. Unfortunately, despite good intentions, most people don’t end up achieving these goals. Instead, they return to their old eating habits and their comfy place on the couch next to the television set while reassuring themselves that there’s always next year.

Has this happened to you?

Have your daily workouts begun to slip? Has your food intake gotten way out of hand again? Maybe the problem is with those New Year's resolutions you made a little over a month ago. If you've already blown them, they probably weren't realistic to begin with. Don't throw in the towel. Think about what went wrong and then work on ways you can fix it. Chances are you need to break your big resolutions — like lose 40 pounds — down into several smaller goals with milestones.

Here are some tips to get you back on track:

Set Realistic Fitness GoalsMake monthly short term goals instead of yearly goals. Having expectations that are too lofty is a recipe for failure. You may ultimately want to run a marathon, but aspiring to do so in three months when you’ve never run before is unrealistic and likely to lead to frustration and failure. Instead, set a more achievable goal of training for a 5K instead. Once you’ve reached that goal, you can always set a loftier one. It feels good to achieve small goals, and small goals ultimately add up to larger ones.

Make Them SpecificYou’re more likely to reach your fitness goals if you make them specific and measurable. It’s not good enough to say you want to lose weight. Set a more concrete, measurable goal of losing 6 pounds a month instead. Having a specific goal keeps you on course and gives you something measurable to strive for. It’s too easy to lose your motivation when you set vague goals that don’t have a defined endpoint. Give yourself a timeline for achieving a specific goal to stay motivated, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t reach it. Simply refocus and redefine your goal rather than quitting in frustration.

Make Sure Your Goals Are Consistent with Your LifestyleLook at the bigger picture, but make it something you can execute on a day-to-day basis. If you’re working a full-time job and caring for a family, trying to work out 2 hours a day isn’t realistic. Instead, set aside 30- 50 minutes each day to exercise. If you kick your workout up a notch you can get a kick-butt workout in 30 - 50 minutes doing high-intensity interval training one day and strength-training the next. If time is an issue, you can also set your alarm 30 minutes earlier, and exercise first thing in the morning. Take your lifestyle into account when planning your fitness goals.

Don’t Make Perfection Your GoalSome people approach their New Year’s fitness resolutions with gusto, at least at first. They get up every morning before dawn and work up a sweat. Then something happens that keeps them from working out for a few days. In frustration they give up because they got off track. Setbacks are a part of life, and it’s important to plan for them. If you have to miss a few days of exercise, don’t beat yourself up and then give up entirely. Pick up where you left off. Expect setbacks such as family issues, illness or injuries and have a plan for getting back on course when the setbacks occur.

Make Your Fitness Goals FlexibleOne reason people don’t stick with their New Year’s fitness resolutions long term is because they aren’t flexible enough to adapt. If you accept a job assignment that takes up time you would normally spend at the gym, find a different workout time or modify your routine so you’re getting more done in less time. Flexibility is key to long-term fitness success. Find a way to adapt your workout when life throws you a few curves. Approach your goals with some flexibility. If circumstances make it so you can’t meet you a goal, change it to one you can achieve. Be flexible enough to adjust your goals so you won’t give up if you can’t achieve them during the time period you’ve set.

The Bottom LineChoose realistic, specific, measurable fitness goals for the New Year and you’re more likely be successful. Add in a dose of flexibility so you won’t give up entirely when life throws you a curve ball, and think positively.

Don't let yourself get stuck before you barely even start. Trust me — there is a light at the end of every tunnel (no matter how dark or how long), and the quicker you start moving, the faster you'll reach it. You won't regret it when the pounds come off and the results of your hard work pay off.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Organic Home Based Business Opportunity


Please feel free to forward this blog post to anyone interested in creating an organic home income.

If you've ever wanted to create a home based income by supporting people to live sustainably and in greater health... then now is the time to start. To celebrate our 9th Birthday, Miessence is offering free organic superfoods worth over $200 to people who sign up as Representatives and order a Fast Start or Super Fast Start pack, during February 2012 only.

If you're interested, please feel free to contact me at:
Rebecca@e-FitSolutions.com
and visit: http://www.TryMiessenceOrganics.com for more info on Miessence Organics.

I am confident I can help you find out more and should you wish to proceed, assist you in growing your own organic home business with the highest return on investment possible.

Yours,In Good Health!
Rebecca Attanasio, CPT
Owner/Founder, eFitSolutions
www.eFitSolutions.com

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

How To Lose Those Last 10 Pounds

Have you have been exercising and leading a fairly healthy lifestyle but you are still looking at the scale and thinking “How can I lose these last 10-15 pounds”? Does this situation sound familiar to you? It might sound surprising, but sometimes losing 10-15 pounds is the most difficult weight loss goal.

You know what I like to call those last 10 or 15 pounds that won't come off no matter what? Vanity pounds.

The term describes our desire to lose weight that, as far as our bodies are concerned, actually feels healthy. Today's society pressures us to want to look a certain way, or for aesthetic reasons we try to be thinner than our bodies want us to be. Personally, I have gained and lost the same 8 vanity pounds more times than I care to admit.

Losing your first 50 pounds might have been tough, but believe me, dropping those final few stubborn pounds is a whole different challenge. The body struggles to hold on to that last bit of fat for survival purposes.

There are a number of reasons why it is so difficult to get rid of those last stubborn pounds:
1. Weight loss plateau. If you’ve already lost a lot of weight then you have reached a plateau. Your metabolism is slower than it used to be (for every pound you lose your metabolism slows down by 20 calories a day) and your body is used to your current exercise routine and diet.
2. You need to change things up. When you eat and exercise the same way every day your body becomes accustomed to your diet and exercise routine, so you will need to change things up to reach your target weight.
3. Not enough emotional support. People who have to lose 30+ pounds usually have a lot of emotional support from friends, relatives and medical personnel. If a person is overweight then losing weight is the essential strategy that will help them resolve a lot of health problems.
4. “Anti-support.” When you want to lose pounds just to reach your ideal weight then you might hear these types of comments from people around you “Why do you need to lose weight? You already look great”.
5. Procrastination. You think that you can lose those last pounds at any time, which is why you indulge in special treats, skip workouts and eat out way too often. Your mind (laziness) tells you that losing those pounds is not critical for your well-being and that is why you always come up with a reason for why now is not the best time to do it.

Now, don't get me wrong — you can lose the weight if you want to, but it will require you to muster a tremendous amount of restraint and willpower. If you're really up for it, do the following for 30 days:

Plan of Action:
1. Now IS the time. Make a firm decision that you are going to lose the last pounds right now. Ready, set, go! Tell as many people as you can so you can be held accountable.

2. Eat more and eat right. If you only eat around 1200 calories a day and you are fairly active then your body does not get enough calories (1200 calorie diet is for people with a sedentary lifestyle). Your body is in shock and it starts saving fat and using muscles to get extra energy. You lose muscle mass, your metabolism slows down, you store more fat, so you don’t lose weight and you feel constantly hungry.
The most important step is to know what to eat. Follow these tips:
• Eat foods rich in water (vegetables and fruit)
• Eat a lot of lean protein (legumes, tofu, fish and seafood and lean poultry) and healthy fats (try walnut oil for sautéing vegetables, grape seed oil for high-temp cooking and olive oil in salads, rice and pasta.)
• Eliminate as much sugar as possible from your diet
• Cut your sodium to 1,000 mg a day.
• Drink at least 80 ounces of water daily.
• Cut out processed foods.
• Abstain from alcohol.
• Get your carbs from whole grain products rich in fiber.

3. Start interval training. Interval training burns more calories than any flat rate physical activity. Interval training is really simple: you add a short burst of high intensity activity (run as fast as you can, cycle as fast as you can, jump etc.) and follow it with a longer period of moderate or low-intensity activity. The best starting ratio is 1:3 meaning that you run as fast as possible for 1 minute and then you run at a slower rate for 3 minutes (you can change time to suit your current fitness level). Try to do this 5 days per week for 30 minutes per day and move up from there.

4. Stay active all day long. Being active throughout the day is more beneficial to you then just going to the gym 2 or 3 times a week. It won’t only burn more calories but it will make you busy so that you don’t have time to snack or overeat. If you buy a pedometer and use it to set daily goals (your goal is around 10,000 steps but you can start with just 2000 to get yourself going) then you will be more likely to stay active throughout the day.

5. Keep a food diary. A food diary is one of the most effective ways to lose weight. Losing weight is nothing but a mathematical equation and if you can figure out when and why you are eating more calories (or too few calories) than you should, then you will be able to make the right changes to your diet.

6. Change things up. Another way to try and accelerate your weight loss is by changing your workout routine altogether. For example, if you normally run to exercise, try doing some aerobics instead. Your body will have to adapt to the change and may start to burn calories at a faster rate. If your main exercise is running, you can either increase the intensity of your workout by running faster or by running farther. You may want to experiment with both methods, to see how your body reacts to the change in your routine.

I am sure that if you follow these tips then you will be able to get that scale moving in the right direction. You can do a lot in 30 days — in fact, I can pretty much guarantee you will lose at least 5 pounds.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Are you Eating Beyond Organic


Are You Eating Beyond Organic?

Many of you may know my good friend and natural health expert Jordan Rubin, CEO of Garden of Life, and author of The Maker's Diet.

Jordan is about to launch a new company called Beyond Organic, which will offer the world’s healthiest foods, including:

• Beyond Organic GreenFed Beef
• Beyond Organic raw cheese
• Beyond Organic 100% GreenFed cultured dairy beverage
• REIGN - mountain spring water with unsurpassed purity
• REIGN infused spring waters for enhanced performance in life
• Beyond Organic certified organic dark chocolate with probiotics and omega-3s

There are MANY significant features that set these foods and beverages apart from what you would find in health stores.

For example, we have all seen "organic" and “grass-fed” beef at Whole Foods. But did you know that organic beef requires that the cows consume 30% grass? Only 30%!

Jordan Rubin's new company is taking 8,000+ certified organic acres in Missouri and Georgia to raise cattle that are free roaming, Green-Fed, and genetically superior cows. (By the way, Green-Fed is a more correct description than grass-fed, and you will learn more about that in future newsletters). You can click HERE for several videos that describe the products.

One reason I am very excited about this company is rather than putting this food in health food stores; Beyond Organic will be skipping the middleman and will ship these foods directly from their farm to your family! It has always been a huge pain for me to try and get grass-fed beef, and especially raw dairy products. But now, with Beyond Organic, the foods and beverages come to me!

Another feature that sets this product line apart is the infusion of clinically studied probiotics. Probiotics are the naturally good flora that are so important to supporting digestive function and boosting immune system health.

Also, the dairy products are produced by cows with specialized genetics −producing milk that is highly tolerable and very digestible.

How to Live Beyond Organic
The really great news is you can literally be one of the first people in America to live Beyond Organic. Since Beyond Organic has not officially launched, from now until October you can become a Beyond Organic Insider. Anyone who is interested in learning more about these foods and beverages, or even the potential to get your Beyond Organic foods and beverages for free by sharing this message with others, can become an insider nearly four months before the rest of the world hears the good news about the new company.


There is NO fee to sign-up now through September and in that time, you will be educated on the Beyond Organic lifestyle, have the opportunity to try some of the products and discover how you can share the Beyond Organic message with friends, family, colleagues and for physicians, your patients.

All of you have recommended healthy eating options to others, and now you can share with those you know and love, how they can consume the healthiest foods and beverages available and be compensated for doing so.

Over a decade ago, Jordan started Garden of Life, one of the leading nutritional supplement companies in America in his parent's friend's garage with his dad's credit card and a dream. Now you can be part of Jordan's new vision! This is truly a ground floor opportunity, and I jumped at the chance to become a part of. And now, I am asking you to join me.

If you would like to get insider access to Beyond Organic at no cost, you can register HERE.

Once you hold your place by signing up, you can then invite your friends to do the same.

Starting in October, you can become involved with Beyond Organic in one of three ways.

1) You can purchase these foods retail

2) You can become a preferred customer and purchase Beyond Organic products at a 20% discount

3) You can become a Mission Marketer, share these foods and beverages with friends and family, and have the opportunity to get your Beyond Organic foods and beverages for free or even earn an income.

I have never been a huge fan of direct selling companies, which often produce inferior products at inflated prices. However, these are literally the best quality foods and beverages I have ever seen, and they will provide real value to everyone who purchases them.

An area of focus for Beyond Organic that aligns very well with my beliefs is their mission to help feed and clothe widows and orphans by partnering directly with ministries and other non-profit organizations. Their groundbreaking program called “Give a Meal, Get a Meal” is powerful, and once you get set up as an Insider you can watch all these amazing videos and see the vision for yourself!

Healthy Food that Tastes Amazing!
I ONLY advise my friends and family to eat what I eat, and these are the foods I will be eating every day. And now, I am inviting you to do the same.

Once you sign up as a Beyond Organic Insider you will receive your own enroller link and code. If you have friends and family who may also want access to these amazing healthy foods and beverages, please share this message with them on FACEBOOK or email your contact list.

To Learn More
Make sure once you sign up as an Insider, you go to the “back office” page to watch the video archives and get educated on Beyond Organic!

Please click HERE for the “no cost” sign-up link and to view the videos.(use enroller code 42149):


Yours, In Good Health,
Rebecca Attanasio,CPT
Owner/Founder, e-FitSolutions
www.e-FitSolutions.com
email: Rebecca@e-FitSolutions.com

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Get the Most from Your Cardio Workouts

Cardio training is one of the best things to do to get fit, lean and healthy. Cardio training improves the cardiovascular system and helps the heart to beat more efficient and slower. Participating in regular cardio workouts will also help you burn fat and get the body of your dreams.

Cardiovascular exercise is considered as an integral part of any weight-loss program. Also referred to as aerobic exercise, it generally involves the major muscle groups specifically those in the leg area. Aside from that, it also puts your lungs to good use and greatly improves your heart’s performance.

Many benefits can be derived from these workouts, because it allows you to lose calories and unwanted fat. It can also lower blood pressure and protect you from hypertension. No doubt any fitness trainer will agree that a great fitness plan should have cardio exercises thrown in the mix.

Challenge Is the Magic Word:
Any fitness routine can become boring after a while, and cardio exercises are no exception.
The answer?
Challenge yourself to a series of variations. This will not only encourage you to overcome boredom, but it will make you appreciate a whole range of cardio routines. For instance, you could schedule one day for treadmill sessions and the next day on the stationary bike, the next walking outside.

Follow the Golden Rule:
Protect yourself from harm and injury by following the golden rule of workouts, and that is to do standard warm-up and cool-down sessions. Any cardio routine is useless if you do not abide by this.

Interval Cardio:
Want more bang for your exercise buck? Interval cardio training is an awesome addition to any strength-training routine because it burns a ton of calories, works the cardiovascular system, and builds muscle. It's all about doing short bursts of cardio with an intense amount of effort. You should do intervals in between your weight-training exercises if you want to really maximize your workout.

Here are two of my favorite interval cardio moves to get you started:
Mountain Climbers:
Start in a plank position on the floor, with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your right knee and, with a springing movement, bring your right thigh under the right side of your torso. Quickly spring back to the starting position while jumping your left knee forward under your torso. Repeat, keeping your pace as fast as possible. Besides being a cardiovascular exercise, this move trains the chest, shoulders, lower abs, and transverse abs.

Squat Thrusts:
Start in a plank position on the floor, with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees and jump both feet toward your hands so that you're in a crouching position. Quickly jump both feet back behind you to the starting position. Repeat, making sure you keep your abs tight — and don't let your lower back sag or drop.

Remember, "Interval" is the key word here. These exercises are meant to be done in 30-second to 5-minute bursts, not half-hour sessions. The exercises are demanding, so warm up before doing them.

Last thing that I want to talk about is improvement. You should always aim to improve on your last workout. Make it a little faster and a little longer each time. This is important to do because as you consistently improve session by session your fitness will get better session by session. Go ahead, give it a try…you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Jump-Rope Workout

Jump-Rope Workout

Tone arms and legs, strengthen your heart, and improve balance with this recess favorite.

Basic Jump
Swing the rope over your head and jump as it passes your feet. You don't have to jump high, just enough to clear the rope. Land evenly on both feet. Continue for one minute, then rest for one minute.

Alternate-Foot Jump
Swing the rope over your head and jump as it passes your feet. Land on your right foot. On the next rotation, land on your left. Continue this, as if you were running in place, for one minute. Rest for one minute.

High Step
Repeat the alternate-foot jump, but this time raise each knee to a 90-degree angle while jumping. Continue for one minute, then rest for one minute.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

March Is National Nurtition Month

March is National Nutrition Month, and the American Dietetic Association encourages everyone to add color and nutrients to your meals through this year's theme: "Eat Right with Color."

"Adding a splash of colorful seasonal foods to your plate makes for more than just a festive meal. A rainbow of foods creates a palette of nutrients, each with a different bundle of potential benefits for a healthful eating plan," says registered dietitian and ADA Spokesperson Karen Ansel.