Coolest Birthday Gift Ever!!!

I wasn't very active yesterday!!

My sleep pattern last night!

Hey guys! So how's your November going so far?  Well, today is my 28th Birthday, so I'd say my month is off to a good start!  Another year older, another year wiser and I can honestly say that I'm happier and healthier than I've been in a very long time!  I have my workouts, healthier eating habits and my new beachbody coaching experience to thank for all that!  I just finished my entire 10 week T25 workout program, combined with the Shakeology meal replacements on Friday and will be starting back at the beginning of the program today, along with so many of my wonderful friends who will be starting their own T25 fitness journeys today!  

But anyways, I wanted to share this awesome little gadget that my husband got me for my birthday!! It's a little bracelet, called UP BAND! 

Have you heard of the UP band by Jawbone? Well, neither had I, until my friend posted about it in one of my fitness challenge groups! Apparently it's this awesome little band (like a bracelet) that you put on your wrist, wear it around, 24/7 and you download an app that it syncs to and can track your sleeping, eating, exercising, and more!

How awesome is that! It can tell you specifics! Not only how many hours of sleep you got, but how long it took you to fall asleep and even how many hours of light sleep vs. deep sleep, you got... WOW!! Not only does this provide you with great information about your habits, but it will also be a great visual to help you realize the areas where you are slacking and what changes you need to make in you're everyday activities! It also connects with other great apps such as the 'MapMyFitness', 'MyFitnessPal', 'LoseIt' and more!!!

Hello, November! Please don't put this off for another 61 days!

HELLO, NOVEMBER!!  Today is not only a brand new day, but a brand new month... and we're quickly approaching the end of 2013! Can you believe it?  It's going to be 2014 before we know it!!

So the question is...

Are you going to continue with your unhealthy eating habits for another 2 months, put off working out for another 61 days... just because you feel like it would be a "waste of time" to try and start getting healthy before all the holidays hit?

Well let me help you put this into perspective... your health and wellness should NOT only be something that you try to achieve once January 1st hits!  This is your HEALTH we are talking about! Some people seem to care more about having the most up-to-date smart phone, than they do about having a body that is functioning at it's maximum potential! Our bodies are what get us through this life, so even if you aren't noticing the effects of your unhealthy diet and lazy tendencies right now, I can promise it will catch up to you and affect you later in life!  You know why I can promise this?  Because if you're feeding your body junk food on a regular basis and not getting the exercise that you need, then the inside of your body isn't healthy right now!  And chances are... those lucky ones who can't "see" it, can feel it on a regular basis.  You're tired, unmotivated, depressed and don't seem to really know why?   You're unhealthy... that's why!

Did you know that TWO-THIRDS of Americans are overweight or obese and 2 out of every 5 children in our country are overweight or obese!  So to break that down into numbers for some of you... that is 200 MILLION Americans who are overweight or obese today!

WOW!  To me, that is INSANE!!! But I can easily see how it could happen.  We have fast-paced lives... and to help us keep up with that pace, we've got McDonald's and Taco Bell to "help us" feed our family meals on-the-go!  We've got those favorite television shows that we're obsessed with and have to sit and watch when we get home from our busy day and want to kick back and relax.  How about football! I don't know about you guys, but I know plenty of guys who use Sunday as their excuse to sit in front of the tv ALL DAY LONG to watch the games!  Oh wait... and don't forget about college football on Saturday... can't miss those!  Oh wait and isn't there Monday and Thursday night football too?  Wow! I dare you to add up the time that you spend in front of the tv each week!  It adds up!  And what's football Sunday without a big, greasy pepperoni pizza from Papa Johns?

Don't worry... I'm not 100% innocent in some of this!  I went through a phase where once the kids were in bed, I vegged in front of the television for hours! And yet, I was that same mom who said to myself, "I wish I had time to workout, but with 3 kids... it's IMPOSSIBLE!"  Well guess what ladies and gentlemen... it's not impossible, because I do it EVERYDAY now!

You want to know what the difference is?...

I now MAKE TIME to workout!  I made working out a PRIORITY for myself!  And I've noticed HUGE differences, not only in my health and my body, but in my energy levels, my mood, my overall happiness!!!  I learned a while ago, from one of my favorite movies (Legally Blonde) that when you work out, your body releases endorphins.  Endorphins make you happy!  And it's so true! Even on the mornings where I don't necessarily feel like I'm in the mood to workout, I force myself to "push play" on my T25 workouts or go for that jog, because as soon as I start... I FEEL my mood do a 180!  It's seriously an instant mood changer when you're feeling down!

So I'm sorry if I sound pretty frustrated with this post, but I am!  I know that each and every person out there has the ability to make a change, but it upsets me that there are so many people out there who just don't have the motivation or confidence in themselves to MAKE A CHANGE!  And there's always a chance to change that!  Each day is a new beginning... so if you're one of those people, then just GO FOR IT!  If you think you need someone on your ass to push you and help you through it, then private message me and we will work something out!  I want to help people realize their full potential and I want people to start setting better examples for these younger generations coming up!  For 2 out of ever 5 children in our country to be obese/overweight is heart-breaking to me!!

So have a happy Friday, and look at your life choices!  If there's something that you realize you need to change, then stop making lousy excuses, slap your past self in the face and tell your future self that you are GOING to do better for yourself and for your family!  :)

~Crystal

How small daily improvements can have HUGE long-term results!

This is very similar to the concept that I've been reading about in The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy (great personal development book, by the way)

So let's just say that you decide to cut 250 calories from your diet each day.  That's realistic. That's less calories than 4 Oreo cookies.  So 250 less calories a day isn't going to make any difference, you say... okay, maybe you won't notice a difference after a day of cutting 250 calories from your diet.  You may not even notice a difference a week after doing it, or even a month after omitting 250 calories from your normal diet.  

But guess what?... 

When you've been 6 months and this 250 less calories a day has just become your usual routine that you follow out of habit, and it doesn't even seem like you're doing anything special... In that 6 months, you've consumed 45,000 LESS CALORIES than you would have if you didn't decide to cut those mere 250 calories per day.

45,000 calories is equal to 13 pounds!!! So without even adding any kind of workout or adopting healthier eating habits... you've lost 13 POUNDS in 6 months... by simply cutting out those 4 Oreo cookies each day, or maybe the Iced Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks is your guilty pleasure.  Wherever you could cut off those 250 calories, do it! It may be tough the first week, but then you'll get used to it.  And you'll see results over time! 

Think about it... just by doing this for another 6 months, you will have lost over 25 pounds in a year, without working out, without eating salads and brussel sprouts for every meal... JUST by cutting 250 calories a day! 

NOW... Imagine if you also decided to replace some of those other calories you're taking in each day with some healthier choices.  Even baby steps... I'm not talking about starting a crazy workout routine, running marathons and living off of greens, but I'm just talking about ordering a wrap instead of a burger.  Get the apple instead of the baguette (Yes, I love me some Panera).  Skip the fancy, sugary coffee at Starbucks and get a black coffee and add your own cream and sugar so you can limit the amount put in it or try a Chai Tea Latte with nonfat milk... maybe you'll like that? And it only has 180 calories compared to a Venti White Chocolate Mocha (which used to be my FAVORITE... until I found out that it has 580 CALORIES-- 190 of them from fat!) Wowzers... no thank you! 

So just keep this in mind and remember, this goes for anything in life, not just dieting and losing weight, but if you start with small, baby steps, making small positive changes in the direction that you want to see yourself go, then it's inevitable that you will begin to see huge changes over time! So ask yourself... where do I wish to see myself at this time next year?  And how can I start making small steps in the right direction, RIGHT NOW? And start doing it!  

Just remember... CONSISTENCY IS KEY!  And that goes for anything in life!

~Crystal

You are the only one stopping yourself

Wow! How true is this? Why is it that we are always so hard on ourselves? Often, others are quicker to cheer us on and tell us we can do something, when we find ourselves building these walls and putting ourselves down for the things that we didn't achieve yet, or the things that we feel that we've failed at. 

STOP with the negative thoughts... STOP comparing yourself to others and STOP being your own biggest obstacle to hurdle! YOU, and only YOU, can decide that it's time to make a change in your life... so stop waiting for the perfect time to do it, because the perfect time will never come...

The perfect time is TODAY.

 The perfect time is that moment, where you realize that what you've done up until this point, hasn't worked for you... and it's time to make a CHANGE!!! STOP building these walls and holding yourself back!!! Think positive, take a leap of faith and JUMP!!! Jump over that wall, chase out those negative thoughts and become that person that you always wished you could be! 

Because guess what? YOU CAN BE THAT PERSON!

To follow my motivational posts, join my free fitness challenge group or become a part of my fit fam, then just go to facebook and 'like' my page!

 KISS MY ABS FITNESS FAM on FACEBOOK

Maria Kang -- My take as a fit mom of 3

After reading numerous articles about Maria Kang yesterday, I decided to make my own post on this topic. I am also a mom of 3 and have gotten into the best shape of my life after having them! You do have to have a lot of self discipline during and after pregnancy to achieve this... And you can complain that you don't have time to workout, because let's face it... most mom's really don't have a lot of spare time--between working, taking care of the house, doing the laundry, cooking meals, bathing the kids, helping with homework, putting them to bed... by the time you've got a second of peace and quiet for yourself... the LAST thing you feel like doing is working out!

I feel ya... I can relate!!... but you know what... A lot of us moms also decide to put ourselves LAST once we have a family to take care of. I know I'm guilty of it! For lunch many days, I would just pick from the leftovers on my kids plates. And when I did actually find time to eat a whole meal... it was something from McDonalds or Chik-fil-A (ewww) So find time to make little steps in the right direction to get healthier and in better shape! Try to make healthy food choices throughout the day, or if you can wake up a half hour before the kids and workout, then do it! Or start going for walks around the neighborhood with your family after school and work.

I suppose I have a similar message as Maria Kang, but I understand that these decisions must be made on your own time and you must be ready to really make some serious changes in your life and be willing to make a commitment to YOURSELF! I believe in you, but in order to see changes, you must believe in yourself! :) If you want to make a small step in the right direction, then I even have an online health and fitness challenge group going on that can help you achieve your goals! If you're interested in joining me, you can APPLY HERE and friend request me on facebook so that we can connect and get you started! :)

Start your own business from home!

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, please contact me as soon as possible! We are beginning a coaches training bootcamp group on facebook to help get you started and teach you how you can earn Shakeology for free every month, while helping others and getting in the best shape of your life in the process!  You don't need any fitness or nutrition experience, no certifications, just the passion to help others get healthy and fit and the self discipline to be your own boss and "work" from home at least 30 minutes a day!

The quickest and easiest way to contact me is through email at Crystal.Laiti@yahoo.com.  You can start making money as soon as today, so don't wait... Let's get started on building your own business!

~Crystal
Independent Team Beachbody Coach

Join my FREE Fitness Challenge for October!!

 

 

Alright everyone! Sorry I'm 2 days late, but here is your October Fitness Challenge! I'm doing it a little bit different this month! Each day will be a 5 minute workout! This is to just get you into the routine of adding exercise to your DAILY routine!

 

You'll notice that each day of the week has a different combination of 30 sec-1 min exercises. These will be the same workouts for every week. What I want you all to do is keep track of how many reps you are able to do in the allotted time given for each exercise, everyday.

 

*For example: This week, you may only be able to do 10 crunches in 30 seconds, but a week from now, maybe you find that you're able to do 13 crunches in 30 seconds, and so on....

 

So I am going to post a blank calendar for you guys to print out (or if you have a calendar of your own at home that you can use already, or want to make your own word document calendar to keep track.... go for it! You do what's easiest for you!) But I really do want you to keep track of your rep #s so that you can see your improvement over the course of the month! If you want more of a challenge, then go through it all again when you've finished and you've got yourself a 10 minute workout each day! That's the beauty of this... is you can do as much or as little as you want, but I want you all to at least try the minimum (the 5 minutes that I posted for you each day!) 

 

And remember to check in and let us know when you've completed your workout for the day! Let us know which part you find to be easier or tougher for you! We're all in this together, so let's have fun with it! Thanks for participating everyone!!! And I'm hoping some of you that have just been observers up until this point, will join in on the fun and start posting for us! The more people who really participate and get involved in this, the more motivation everyone will have to get working! Whose in for a challenge this October?  If you're on facebook and want to join us, you can find us at

FunandFabFitFam@groups.facebook.com

Save and Print this one so you can track your number of reps for each day! But remember to keep good form!