Who's Got 10 Minutes?

Join My "10 Minute" Weight-loss Challenge  Starting Monday- 3/26/12 

Decide. Commit. Succeed. '

-No excuses!  

Today is the day to get started.  I have a few spots available.  

Challenge takes place in your own home.

Challenge Includes: Fitness, nutritional support, 1 month  FREE club membership, accountability & fun! Anyone who commits to my challenges will get a prize for committing & the winner will get a FREE prize as well!

It's a 90 Day Commitment you won't regret.

Message Me to Get Started.

Move Your Body!

5 Ways to Get Fit & Stay Fit in 2011

Well, the New Year is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.  Before we know it 2010 will be behind us and the dawn of a brand New Year will be upon us. 

New Years Eve is often the time people re-evaluate and re-determine to get fit and make healthy changes in their lifestyles.  Studies show however that many who make resolutions or re-commitments regarding health and fitness often times fall off by spring.

Have you ever been guilty of this?  I have to admit- I have!  So, here's some tips that have worked for me and that I'd like to share with you to help keep the fire under you and keep you focused and consistent this year.

1. Create a "New Year-New You" Goal Poster or Vision Board-  Cut out images, find pictures of yourself at your ideal weight, search magazines for words and pictures that depict the vision you have for yourself.  Paste or glue them on a large piece of oak tag or poster board. 
2. Write down your Health & Fitness Goals.  Set long term goals and short term goals.  Share them with someone you trust.  Read them daily and acknowledge and reward yourself as you achieve them.
3. Get an accountability partner or workout buddy.  This is someone who is really going to encourage you and even push you on those days you feel like slacking off. 
4. Join a fitness forum, support group, or fit club.  There's strength in numbers. Surrounding yourself with like minded people will be pivotal to your success not only in fitness but in other areas of your life as well.
5. Prepare ahead.  Schedule in your workouts on your smart phone or physical calendar.  Just as you schedule your important appointments i.e. doctors, work, and children's activities you need to schedule and pencil in the time you will set aside for fitness.  Also, planning and preparing meals ahead of time will help you avoid binges and fast food drive by's.  "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail"

Do you have any tips that have worked for you to help you stay the course in your health & wellness journey?  Feel free to leave a comment and let us hear about it.

Let's Do it For the Kids!

I'm always amazed when I go to my children's high school at the amount of teens who are clearly overweight.  This troubles me considering the health risks & self esteem issues that are inevitable for these youth as a result of their unhealthy lifestyles.

The statistics available that prove child obesity in America is at epidemic levels are alarming.  Statistics show that approximately 1/3 of the nation's children are carrying too much weight. There are lots of reasons why child obesity in America is on the rise. 


One of the main contributing factors is young people are not eating the right foods.  They're eating diets filled with sugar, processed foods, and empty calories-food with little to no nutritional value.   Also, the average American child is getting significantly less exercise on a daily basis. Many of our young people are spending an insane amount of time watching television, surfing the net, and texting and less time involved in physical activities.  I know my children definitely spend more time idle then I ever did as a child!  The combination of processed, fast food diets along with sedentary lifestyles is creating a generation of children who are facing chronic adult health issues such as diabetes, high cholesterol & heart disease.

It's heart breaking because young people who are obese also carry emotional baggage along with the additional weight. Overweight children often have low self-esteem. Teen eating disorders like bulimia & anorexia develop as a result of feelings of inadequacy.  Many obese children are often bullied, ridiculed and made to feel inferior by their peers. 

I believe a large responsibility falls on the adults in these young people's lives to begin to do things differently so we can turn this epidemic around. 

What you as a parent/mentor can do:

1. Exercise with your child.  This will provide support & encouragement.  Your child will less likely feel singled out.
2. Commit to buying healthier foods, read labels, avoid processed foods.  Limit junk food at home
3. Join a YMCA or Fit Club that the entire family can get involved in.
4. Take Walks together.  This will provide great bonding time as well as exercise.
5. Buy Games like WiFit or xBox-Kinnect that encourage movement
6. Reinforce to your child that they are beautiful and you love them and want them to be healthy
7. Consult a Nutritionist or Wellness Coach for assistance for support

Wellness Wednesday: 90 Day Challenge

This morning was one of those mornings I just didn't want to exercise. Everything in me was screaming, "Stay in Bed!" I pushed myself to do it anyway and I'm so glad I did.

I dragged myself out of bed, took 2 capfuls of Isotonix Acai Juice, threw on my workout gear, tossed on my sneakers, grabbed the iPod, and headed out the door.

I had an amazing workout. I did 45 minutes of hard core cardio--woot!  For some of you reading this that may not be a major accomplishment however for me it is. Lately I have been extremely inconsistent and lackadaisical with regard to my workouts.

I am re-committing to enhance my lifestyle by falling in love with exercising again. In addition, I have also set my goal to lose 15lbs within the next 90 days. I will workout 5 days each week and continue to eat healthy (mostly foods with a low GI)

Okay, so who's with me? Do I have anyone willing to take a 90 challenge with me? Who wants to be healthier, stronger, and more energetic?

Let's create greatness together. Let's create a Healthier Lifestyle!

Consistency is the key.

Wellness Wednesday: 7 Benefits of Physical Activity

The following article was originally posted by a Beachbody Coach.  Beachbody is a company that sells various exercise programs.  Personally, I have used 3 of their programs: Slim in 6, Hip Hop Abs, and Turbo Jam.  Slim in 6 was the system that helped me lose 35lbs!  Hip Hop Abs & Turbo Jam are 2 I do because they are alot of fun and great ways to shed pounds while dancing.  I am not writing this to promote Beachbody programs.   If you are someone who's uninterested in workout videos, then join a gym, walk a trail, go swimming- but do something!  Begin to find ways to add 20-40 minutes of cardio into your routine at least 3-4 times each week.  Here's 7 Benefits to Get you Motivated...

You know exercise is good for you — but do you know how good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your life.


By Mayo Clinic staff

Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than old-fashioned exercise.

The merits of regular physical activity — from preventing chronic health conditions to promoting weight loss and better sleep — are hard to ignore. And the benefits are yours for the taking, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing? Check out seven specific ways exercise can improve your life.

1. Exercise improves your mood.

Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.

Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You'll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Regular physical activity can even help prevent depression.

2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Physical activity might be the ticket.

Regular physical activity can help you prevent — or manage — high blood pressure. Your cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular physical activity boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.

And there's more. Regular physical activity can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.

Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade some couch time for walking or other physical activities.

This one's a no-brainer. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn — and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. You don't even need to set aside major chunks of time for working out. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during your lunch break. Do jumping jacks during commercials. Better yet, turn off the TV and take a brisk walk. Dedicated workouts are great, but physical activity you accumulate throughout the day helps you burn calories, too.

4. Exercise boosts your energy level.

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Don't throw in the towel. Regular physical activity can leave you breathing easier.

Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular physical activity helps your entire cardiovascular system — the circulation of blood through your heart and blood vessels — work more efficiently. Big deal? You bet! When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you'll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep.

Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? It might help to boost your physical activity during the day.

A good night's sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. And you guessed it — physical activity is sometimes the key to better sleep. Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. There's a caveat, however. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you may be too energized to fall asleep. If you're having trouble sleeping, you might want to exercise earlier in the day.

6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.

Are you too tired to have sex? Or feeling too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Physical activity to the rescue.

Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there's more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women, and men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise — especially as they get older.

7. Exercise can be — gasp — fun!

Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Looking for an activity that suits the entire family? Get physical!

Physical activity doesn't have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you're moving, it counts!

Are you convinced? Good. Start reaping the benefits of regular physical activity today!


Posted by Darryl Washington (aka Faithfighter)

http://beachbodycoach.com/faithfighter