Decide today~

Let’s Get It Started!

So, you want to get started on your journey to better health but don’t how.  Here are a few tips to get you going:

1. WHY.  Find out what motivates you. WHY do you want to be healthy?
2. WRITE.   Now, write it down.  The WHY part.  On the fridge, the stove, the mirror, the dog, whatever strikes your fancy….just write it down.  A dream is only a wish until you write it down.
3. WHAT.   After you have your why, ask yourself  WHAT? WHAT do you like to do? Do you like to bike ride? Jog? Fast walk? Aerobics? Water Aerobics? Skate? Lift weights? There are a number of ways to skin a cat! You choose what you like to do because then you are more likely to stick and stay!
4.WHEN.     Okay, you have your WHY and your WHAT. Now you need your WHEN. When is it the best time for you to accomplish your WHAT? Are you an early morning person? (That’s me!) Or do you prefer late afternoon or evening? Whatever time it is you must decide that and stick to it!
5. HOW.      How are you going to accomplish this journey to better health?  Do you want results RIGHT NOW? Then you must come up with a plan to work it fast and furious.  Are you the slow and steady type? Great. Create a plan that will help you reach your desired goal at a slow and steady pace.  Can’t create a plan? Comment me and I will help you!
6. DECIDE.       You MUST DECIDE that your health is important and worth the effort it takes to get there.  You didn’t get where you are now overnight…it was a process of many things….maybe bad choices, maybe injury, maybe you’ve been too busy, whatever it is NOW is the time to DECIDE to change.  YOU have to make that choice…no one will do it for you.  In order for change to take place in your health YOU have to change!

Create a whole new fitness revolution…starting with you!

Sandy

Top 12 Advocare Solutions to your health~

While weight loss is certainly not everyone’s goal, I am aware that nearly 7 out of 10 Americans are now considered overweight. additionally, it should be almost everyone’s goal to make weight management a priority as we age. For that reason, I wanted to take a moment and quickly list our top 12 favorite affordable, convenient AdvoCare solutions for weight loss and weight management! I have seen these 12 products provide phenomenal results countless times over the past few years and I know firsthand that there is something in this list that can be used by almost everyone. I truly hope you find these solutions a benefit!

Top 12 AdvoCare Solutions for Weight Loss/Management

1. Meal Replacement Shakes – The essence of a perfectly convenient meal! When you need to cut calories or you need a nutritious on-the-go meal, grab a Meal Replacement Shake. Meal Replacement Shakes have a 1:1 protein-to-carbohydrate ratio, which studies show supports weight loss and sustained energy. And since they’re loaded with 24 grams of easily digestible protein, 26 vitamins and minerals and just 220 calories per serving, you’ll satisfy your rumbling tummy, feed your muscles with high-octane fuel and give your body wholesome nutrients for a healthier you.
2. MNS Max 3 – The gap-filler! The most comprehensive system available! In addition to appetite control, you will receive the best core nutrition as we have added Amplify A.T., Calcium Plus and an additional OmegaPlex® to this system.* Max 3 also offers sustained-release energy, which means energy will last throughout the day.* And with approximately half the caffeine of MNS® Max E and MNS® Max C, it is a fantastic alternative for anyone looking for a lower-caffeine solution.* For energy, appetite control and overall outstanding core nutrition and wellness, Max 3 is the answer.*
3. Catalyst – Need a high protein snack that goes anywhere? Catalyst is a blend of essential branched-chain amino acids and L-glutamine that supplies your body with muscle-building components and sustains your muscles during exercise and reduced calorie intake.* Whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain muscle, Catalyst helps repair and protect muscles.* Other amino acids in Catalyst like L-arginine, taurine and betaine help fuel and maintain your muscles to support endurance and strength.* Combined with a healthy diet and exercise, Catalyst helps you retain muscle and reduce fat for a more toned and better defined look.*
4. Omegaplex – Fatty acids are essential! OmegaPlex® is a safe, convenient, easy way to get the omega-3 fatty acids that may be missing from your diet, especially if you consume fish less than twice a week. It contains both 600 mg of EPA and 400 mg DHA long-chain omega-3 fatty acids per serving for maximum benefit.* Because these nutrients are involved in transporting nutrients, OmegaPlex is an important component for core nutrition.* It also helps promote healthy hair, skin and nails, and supports a healthy immune system.* It plays a key role in cardiovascular activity by supporting normal blood flow and healthy blood pressure.* In fact, consuming omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.** By supporting a healthy metabolism, OmegaPlex can aid weight management.*
5. Probiotic Restore Ultra – A healthy gut makes weight management easier! Supports better weight management.* ProBiotic Restore ULTRA is a key component in a successful weight-management system.* Many times when you start losing the bacteria and toxins that your body doesn’t need, you also start losing weight as a result. ProBiotic Restore ULTRA supports better weight management by aiding in normal elimination and optimizing nutrient absorption.*
6. Spark – Cut the cravings for sugars and sweets! Spark is a unique multi-nutrient system that’s designed to provide nutritionally advanced, long-lasting energy and enhanced mental focus.* Its 21 vitamins, minerals and nutrients work synergistically to give you healthy, balanced energy without making you jittery like other caffeinated beverages.*
7. Muscle Gain – More protein means more lean muscle…which means less fat! It’s nearly impossible to get enough protein from diet alone without also getting excess calories fat and carbohydrates. Muscle Gain® protein shake is a metabolically balanced blend of high-grade proteins that supplies amino acids and other nutrients that are essential to protein synthesis and muscle-building in an easy-to-digest formula that includes digestive enzymes like papin and bromelain to improve absorption of protein. Because the muscles also need vitamins and minerals, Muscle Gain contains vitamins C and B-6 and calcium. This advanced formula offers a more comprehensive approach to sports performance than other brands of muscle-building, protein drinks.
8. ThermoPlus – How about a fat burning booster? ThermoPlus™ supplement is an innovative weight-loss enhancer that contains key botanical extracts to help support efficient metabolism and suppress appetite.* Together, they provide powerful support for stimulating fat oxidation and healthy metabolism when used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise.* Use it with a Metabolic Nutrition System (MNS®)for enhanced results.*
9. LeptiLean – Appetite control!!! LeptiLean™ is an innovative weight management product that supports appetite management and satiety and helps boost metabolism.* This convenient and flexible product, free of caffeine, can be taken before any meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner – and can be easily combined with other programs.
10. Slim – For anyone looking for an easy-to-use solution for weight loss and weight management, AdvoCare® Slim™ is the perfect answer.* Combining appetite suppression, energy and metabolic enhancers, this 2 oz. prepared serving not only helps you control your cravings but also promotes fat reduction and an improvement in your body composition.* Altogether, Slim has a synergistic effect, helping you manage your diet and maintain energy while changing your body from within.* It really is a system in a bottle!
11. Carb-Ease – We know Americans ingest too many carbs…let’s combat that! Carb-Ease® supplement helps prevent the breakdown of carbohydrates by inhibiting the digestive enzymes used to break them down.* The body must break down starches and other complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) into smaller, more usable forms (monosaccharides). Once broken down, the simple glucose molecules can then be transported across the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Carb-Ease contains herbal extracts and other ingredients such as L-arabinose that help inhibit the breakdown of selected complex carbohydrate molecules so that the body is less likely to absorb them.* Furthermore, Carb-Ease contains additional ingredients, including dry bean extract and gymnema, that help reduce your cravings for sweets and helps inhibit the absorption of some carbohydrates before they can be stored.* Carb-Ease helps maintain your weight and blood glucose levels already in the normal range by reducing the negative effects of excessive carbohydrate consumption.* Works great in combination with a Metabolic Nutrition System (MNS®).
12. Fibo-Trim – Fight that fat during feeding time! Fibo-Trim™ can help limit fat absorption that takes place when you consume high-fat meals.* It contains a proprietary blend of fibers and nutrients help bind, transport and remove dietary fats from the gastrointestinal tract, helping to move the fat through your system before the body has an opportunity to store it.* This unique blend of fibers such as chitosan, guar gum, xantham and psyllium reduce the absorption of fat molecules and then move them quickly through your system before they are broken down.* Furthermore, Fibo-Trim contains key ingredients that are shown to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels already within the normal range.*

Need help deciding what fits your goals? Contact Us at any time! A single solution may make all the difference in the world when it comes to reaching your goals or bettering your overall health and wellness!

5 Top Tips for the Tummy

A slimmer, trimmer waist isn’t out of reach for anyone…

So, your stomach is not quite as flat as you would like it to be huh? Well guess what, I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news for you! Good news…it can be fixed. Bad news, it won’t happen overnight! But, let’s be honest for a second, your stomach didn’t get to this point overnight either right? Of course not! Now, with that said, let’s get you five easy to implement, tummy tightening tips!

Here are 5 very easy to implement tips that will dramatically flatten your abs..

Tummy Tightening Tip #1: Shrink your caloric intake as the day goes on!
Simple concept really! Americans typically eat completely backwards just because it fits into our schedules or social calendars and this continues to increase our waistlines, year after year. Eat for your next three hours! Your largest meals of the day should be breakfast, and a post-workout meal if you are exercising, not dinner, as it typically is. As your day progresses, slowly begin to shrink the number of calories or serving sizes of the foods you eat. You don’t need much energy to sleep at night, so why in the world would we fill our plates and stuff our faces a few hours before bed? Not much calorie burning going on while you snore!

Tummy Tightening Tip #2: Limit carbohydrate intake later in the day!
As with your total caloric intake, so too should your carb intake shrink over the course of the day! Same reasoning, same concept. As your most common source of energy, as you need less, or expect to need less, ingest fewer carbs! Notice I didn’t say to cut out all carbs, but rather to cut back on carbs.

Tummy Tightening Tip #3: Cut starchy carbs after lunchtime!
Again, as noted above when it comes to the typical size of our meals on a normal day, with the largest being dinnertime for most, the same holds true with our starchy carb (rice, potatoes, breads, pastas, etc). This single thing may be the biggest cause of annual weight gain. Think about it, most of the time, do you not include a pretty good size serving of these things with your dinner? Most Americans do, and this increases waistlines like nothing else. Simply put, if these carbs aren’t burned for energy or replenishing energy stores, they are stored as fat, which is all too common. Eat these foods, earlier in the day! Don’t try to eliminate them altogether. Enjoy your food, just time it a little bit better and you will see amazing results.

Tummy Tightening Tip #4: Water, water, water…and more water!
Yeah! We know…BORING!! Sorry Charlie!! Ample water intake is a surefire way to slim and trim, minimize bloating, and ensure healthy body functions all at once! Unfortunately, the majority of our population, especially women, are walking around in a dehydrated or partially dehydrated state at all times, without even knowing it! This is the reason we recommend a single serving of Rehydrate for every woman we work with, at night, right before bed. Within 7-10 days they notice a difference in their hair, nails, skin, etc. simply because there are no longer missing out! Chronic dehydration also leads to false hunger signals and unnecessary calorie consumption. Simple rule of thumb as a minimum…one ounce per pound of bodyweight in water per day!

Tummy Tightening Tip #5: Increase your fiber intake!
Fiber is a good natural way of helping to reduce body fat. It does not metabolize fat quicker or more efficiently, but it will help decrease total caloric intake. It will also reduce the amount of free cholesterol in the blood. Fiber is also a natural and easy way of preventing colon cancer, heat disease and diabetes. Shoot for 20-35 grams of fiber per day, but work up to that slowly if that is not a common intake for you now. Also, with this amount of daily fiber intake, your water consumption is even more important…so get it in!

Folks, contrary to popular belief, abs are not made in the gym, they are created in the kitchen…so to speak! 80-90% of how you look, feel and perform, both mentally and physically, is determined by what you put in your mouth. While we know this is not the “sexy” answer everyone wants to hear, it is the truth, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing by any stretch! Implement these five simple tips and you will see a noticeable difference in your waist in as little as a few days!

Stay Sparked Up!

Sandy

Why am I gaining so much weight?

While gaining weight may appear to be an uncontrollable occurrence; simply a part of the aging process, it doesn’t have to be!

Why are the numbers on your scale climbing year after year? I would say the majority of American society asks this question, and while the answer isn’t the same for everyone, it really isn’t that difficult to figure out! “Any change in your life circumstances can produce changes in eating and exercise, which leads to weight gain,” stated Edward Abramson, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology at California State University, author of Emotional Eating.
Yes, like it or not, we gain weight for different reasons, at different times in our lives, which should explain why the often publicized one-size-fits-all weight loss solutions very rarely produce any real, long-term results! As you have read here before, it didn’t happen overnight, so it won’t come off overnight either, at least not in a healthy manner!

Truth be told, if you took the time to think back to the time in your life when you were at or close to your “ideal” weight, you will notice, you were most likely much more active and had far less stresses! If you are like most, you will probably see a gradual accumulation of pounds over a span years? There are actually times when this is most common, such as…

• College: The college years are some of the easiest for gaining weight. In fact, a recent study by Cornell University found that on average, college freshman gain about 0.5 pounds a week – almost 11 times more than the average weight gain among 17-and 18-year olds and almost 20 times more than the average weight gain among American adults.
• Marriage: There’s nothing like holy matrimony to encourage a barrage of calories to overtake your diet. Late night comfort snacks are always more enjoyable when you have someone to share them with—and who better than the person who pledged to stick by your side through sickness or health?
• Pregnancy: Talk about a great time to gain weight! And we’re not just talking about women here—most men admit that they gained ‘sympathy’ pounds right along with their wife. Hormonal changes along with strong encouragement from everyone you know to indulge in anything their heart desires leave most pregnant women with a feeling of entitlement when it comes to food.
• Career: Though you may not realize it, your career choice plays a major hand in your weight. Those who go from an active lifestyle to spending 8 hours a day behind a desk and another 2 hours commuting almost universally gain weight. Conversely, people who spend their 8 hours in constant motion find weight loss a natural byproduct of the job.

Now, with that noted, if you can determine the period or periods of time when you remember the weight gain beginning or being the most prominent, you will most likely find a change in a few very key, very specific behavioral categories…

Eating Habits: Did your eating pattern change at this time in your life? If your weight gain occurred in college then maybe you went from eating 3 square meals to an all-you-can-eat buffet style cafeteria. Or if marriage was your weight gain trigger, then maybe you went from eating small meals to more fattening comfort food, especially at dinner time, in a family setting. For Women, pregnancy brings on the perfect environment for a change in eating habits. You go from eating normally, to eating ‘for two’, to munching on your baby’s snacks right along with him or her! Your job can also dictate your eating schedule. Long hours and early meetings may cause you to grab a donut or chips from the vending machine.

Stress: Your stress level plays a very important role in your weight management and overall health and well-being! This is an often overlooked area however, because most tend to think that there is either nothing they can do about their stress levels or that everyone has stress and therefore it is inevitable. Not true in either case. Simple things can have major impacts on stress levels and the corresponding hormone fluctuations that affect your weight and/or health. They key is take the time to attack this issue.

Activity Levels: A very good chance, you are less active than you were when you were younger! It is routinely the nature of the beast as life changes from youth to teen to adult. Simply put, what kind of physical activity and how much were you doing before your life changing event and how does it compare to your current levels? Chances are good that you were doing more before your weight gain began; which means that you are doing less exercise today! Go ahead, think back to the exercises or physical activities that you used to do and compare them to your schedule today. Bet there is a change!
As you should very well know by now, weight gain or loss is really not rocket science, but it is not a magic pill or potion either! Now that you should easily be able to recognize, within your own lifetime, when your turn for the worse occurred, you should clearly be able to see the power of such simple, completely controllable behaviors!

And before this crossed your mind…time is NOT the issue! Without even knowing your lifestyle, your responsibilities, we can guarantee, time is NOT the reason, but a simple, easy to justify, excuse that is limiting your personal health and wellness.

Now, the question you need to answer, for you, is…”Is it time to make a change?”
When you decide, hopefully, before that all too common “extreme” health issue mandates you make a change, we are here to help! If nothing else than to answer your questions and get you started off on the right foot! Once the decision has actually been MADE, it doesn’t take much!

And remember, the reason our 24 Day Challenge by AdvoCare is so successful, is quite simply, its focus on providing good nutrition in an affordable, convenient manner, while teaching small lifestyle changes and food choices that can be used for a lifetime, thus not having to deal with the weight re-gain commonly seen after “fad” diets!

Stay Sparked Up!

You Owe It To Yourself

 



It’s time to TAKE CONTROL once and for all!! How about keeping your health New Year’s Resolution this year and actually getting the RESULTS you want…GUARANTEED! Remember, we provide FREE COACHING throughout your 24 Day Challenge! Learn More Here!


Let's make 2012 better than 2011....you owe it to yourself!

Stay Sparked UP!

Sandy