Eat More Fat and get HEALTHIER!
March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I just LOVE this video! YOu have to check it out
My February update:
February 21, 2010 By 1 Comment
Hmmmm….
Before I start ranting and raving, watch the video first because I’m sure I ranted and raved enough there!
Yup….another week with nothing remotely fabulous to share with you in the “outcome” department.
Which I thought would be a great topic for a blog.
As I sit here and reveal to you that my weight has been just about the same over the past few weeks, it seems as though my well meaning behavior changes are not working.
Or are they?
You see, there is a big reason I am doing this with you. Well…okay, there are a lot of reasons.
But the reason I’m thinking of right now is because I really want you to realize how “human” I am, despite the fact I happen to run a fitness Bootcamp and nutrition business.
I know my body pretty darn well. Losing weight has never been an easy task for me. So when I decided to embark on this challenge in a public fashion…
I kinda already knew that this was going to happen.
I kinda already knew the weight was going to come off slowly and it wouldn’t be some super-exciting event. At first, it freaked me out a bit. Being so blatantly (and publicly) honest isn’t easy.
But like most things in my life: I do what I can to turn that lemon into a frothy, delectable, and outright delicious glass of lemonade!
Turn it into Lemonade!
So here goes.
As annoyed as I am (even though I knew this would happen) that my outcome goals (ie…weight on the scale) do not seem to be proportionate with my behavioral goals (ie….actual consistent habits of exercise, clean eating, etc), I’m okay with it.
If there is one thing that I would like to teach you (and me for that matter) is that what matters more than your outcome goals NO MATTER WHAT are your behavioral goals.
Here are some examples of behavior goals that I am implementing on a daily and weekly basis:
- Exercising almost every day…no matter how busy I perceive my life to be
- Drinking green tea almost every day (it’s so freaking good for you!)
- Decreasing my coffee habit to one cup per day, made at home with ½ decaf (I seem to have this one down…except I can’t seem to stick with it on Sundays…)
- Increasing my water intake to a minimum of 3 liters a day, with my ultimate goal of 4 liters a day
- Incorporating yoga and meditation into my weekly routine at least 3X a week
- Eating clean 80-90% of the time
- Whether it’s clean, or not-so-clean eating, I do not overeat (I’m 90-95% compliant with this)
- Drinking a green smoothie a few days a week. (these crazy concoctions actually taste delicious, and after I consume one…I feel like Super Woman!)
- I absolutely must get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep a night (80% compliant here)
Here’s the truth:
Because of the small, yet very powerful conscious changes I’ve made in my behavior, my body is changing every single day, even though the scale isn’t moving,
I can tell things are changing.
- My energy is more focused, steady, and strong all day long.
- My cravings for sugar are almost non-existent.
- I’m sleeping better at night (from the workouts and less blood sugar fluctuation, I’m sure)
- And yes…even though the scale is barely budging, I can tell my body is getting firmer, tighter, leaner.
As frustrated as I am (and maybe even you?) that the scale is not moving, I know and believe with all of my heart that it will.
IF AND ONLY IF….
I keep doing what I know I’m supposed to be doing.
I HAVE TO keep eating clean
I HAVE TO keep exercising
I HAVE TO keep managing my stress
I HAVE TO keep getting enough sleep
It’s so easy to get frustrated when it seems your doing everything right, but you aren’t reaping the benefits. It’s so easy to just say “SCREW IT ALL!!! I’M HEADING TO FOOD COURT!!! BEN & JERRY’S…HERE I COME!”
I get it!!!
But…if I can stay the course….so can you.
And if you’ve strayed off course, get back on RIGHT NOW. Not tomorrow. RIGHT FREAKING NOW. The better you get at the skill (the behavior change) of getting back on course quickly, the quicker you’ll reap the benefits.
Here’s to another week….
I’m going to keep going strong DESPITE THE FACT I HAVEN’T DROPPED A FREAKING POUND.
And you know what? I’m going to do it with a smile on my face. : )
I cheated on Bootcamp!
February 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Yes.
It’s true.
Since we opened our Willow Glen 6am location, I have been teaching all the classes and haven’t been able to actually get to a Bootcamp class to participate.
Well, while our Willow Glen group is ROCKING IT EVERY MORNING (watch out Gilroy and Los Gatos…there’s a new kid in town!), I have been trying out different health clubs in the neighborhood.
Miguel wants a place to swim, so we’ve gotten all these passes to all these clubs around town. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten my workout on at an actual club, so I was interested to give it a go.
As some of you might know, I made my entrance into the health and fitness world teaching group exercise at the ripe old age of 19. So with some club passes in my hand, I just couldn’t help giving some of the free group classes a try.
Tuesday night:
5:30 – cycling
Bootcamp Rulz... Silly Club droolz!
6:30 – sculpting
(Both of which were favorites for me to teach…I loved it!)
Yes, I spent 2 hours at the gym (and if you include drive time, locker time, etc, it was closer to 3 hours).
Here’s what happened:
Okay…I’m not going to sit here and bash the classes. Because I did have a lot of fun. The instructors (although both were very very very out of shape), were funny, engaging, and entertaining to say the least.
But I can’t believe that despite pushing myself in the class, I barely burned 300 calories in an hour and hardly broke a sweat. I really don’t get it. When I used to teach, I would be DRENCHED! I also would feel like I got my world rocked with a great workout.
But not here.
And then we have the traditional group exercise strength class. The instructor had so many gadgets and props, I think she forgot about the actual exercises! I can’t believe that spent almost 3 hours total in a completely unproductive environment. Look people…I’m not trying to sound all important here, but I think we can all agree on this one: Your time is precious, valuable, and probably your most important assest! Yes? Well, that’s how I feel about my time, too.
Here’s what I mean:
If my goal is to lean out, get in shape, change my body and increase my fitness…AND I can do it in less than an hour…why would I waste almost 3 hours in very unproductive formats of exercise? I just don’t get it!
I don’t know. I think Bootcamp has spoiled me.
I love Bootcamp!!!
The workouts actually challenge me. The instructors know your weaknesses and strengths and know how to push you just the right way to get you motivated and moving past your limits. You actually get results.
I think I’ve moved into a new era of my life. Goodbye silly club workouts and HELLO Get-my-butt-into-serious-shape-Red-Shift-Bootcamp-Training-Sessions!!!
See you out there.
Audra : )
P.S. If you haven’t already signed up for bootcamp, you can do it here!!!
PPS…you know what I’m talking about. Getting real results faster than anything else out there. I wasted my time Tuesday night. Now you don’t have to. Join Bootcamp Today!
Painfully disappointing Sunday…
February 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Sunday night….
A very frustrated Audra.
Last week was a good week for me.
I increased the intensity of my workouts. I took my typical 3.5 mile run I do once a week and upped it to a 6 mile run…and I did it three times this week. (which if you don’t know already…I am sooooo not a runner. This was a HUGE thing for me this week!) I even made it to power yoga.
On the food side, if I had to rate how “clean” I am eating, I’d say it was 85-90% clean. The other 10-15% I consider my daily coffee (because I have to have it with cream, milk, and sugar), and other random happening (I locked my keys in my car and ended up waiting for a friend to rescue me at Una Mas. Starving and well overdue for lunch, I ordered pretty healthy foods, but the tortilla soup was very salty, filled with cheese, and I ate every last tortilla chip they gave me.)
So other than some sugar and cream in my coffee and too many tortilla chips at ONE meal, my food choices rocked last week.
Which is why I’m so completely annoyed to share with you that I haven’t lost one stinking pound this week.
The scale keeps toppling from 145.5-146.5, which by the way is the exact same weight I was at when I did my body fat composition testing. I REALLY was thinking that I was going to write a celebratory blog, as I thought FOR SURE I was going to be down to at least 143, so I could celebrate FINALLY hitting the 10 pounds mark.
But no. No such luck.
AUDRA THE HUMAN SAYS:
I am fully annoyed. Totally perturbed. Fuming pissed. Poor Miguel. He’s had to deal with my less-than-fabulous mood all day today….just because of some stupid number on the scale.
So far, I’ve been very positive throughout this whole adventure. Since I started on December 1st, I am down between 7-8 pounds. I realize that is something, but O.M.G….could it please go just a little slower??? I mean really. If you break it down over the last 9 weeks, we’re talking about less than a pound a week. AAARRRGGG!!! I am so annoyed.
AUDRA THE FITNESS PRO AND NUTRITION EDUCATOR SAYS:
Great job! At least I’m going in the right direction! And the slower it comes off the more likely I’ll be able to keep it off!
Also, because of your insane schedule, high stress levels and lack of sleep…honestly…it’s any wonder you’ve been able to lose ANY weight at all!
AUDRA ANNOYED AT THE WORLD SAYS TO AUDRA THE NUTRITIONIST:
“Screw off…I’m still pissed!” Just kidding…I wouldn’t say that to myself. : – ) But, I do need to re-evaluate what’s important in my life and where my priorities lie.
I am soooooo sick of carrying these 10 extra pounds, that getting them off is a big priority.
Running my business and making it very successful is also a huge priority.
How can I do both?
How do I run and manage this super cool BootCamp Business while remaining calm, decreasing my stress, getting enough sleep, and actually losing weight. Do you have any suggestions??? Please post!
HERE’S MY NEW PLAN OF ATTACK…GRRRRRR!!!
- More water! My intake has been about 2 to 3 liters a day. I really should be doing more like 4-5 liters a day. Bathroom breaks…here I come!
- Dairy is gone. I’ve been drinking way too much milk. Now I’m not here to tell you to stop drinking dairy. Only once you go through my nutrition programs will you know if it’s a good idea or not. But what I know for me is…too much dairy means inflammation. If I kill the dairy in my diet, I should kill some bloating, too.
- Intense workouts are in, but super long cardio is out. I know this and I try to teach it to my clients. I can’t tell you how many clients and friends I have that run ½ marathons or get into racing tri’s thinking they’ll lose weight, but they always end up gaining weight! Why? Because there’s way too much repetitive stress on the body with no recovery. Their stress hormones increase while their immune system is dealing with chronic inflammation. It’s a perfect recipe for storing fat. (Then, add to that a probably low intake of quality protein, over consumption of processed carbs, and under-eating veggies, then that poor person doesn’t stand a chance to lose weight….no matter how many marathons they train for. )
- Meals are pre-planned and cooked
Breakfast will almost always be oatmeal with fruit and eggs for protein.
Snack will be a smoothie that is insanely good for you…see the blog page here. I’ve stopped drinking this smoothie for a few months, but I think the extra green veggie intake will help to boost my vitamin and mineral content, and ultimately help alkalinize my body. (Don’t know what that is??? You should join my nutrition programs…)
Lunch will almost always be a huge salad with tons of veggies, lean protein, and a ¼ cup of brown rice mixed in.
Dinner will almost always be a lean quality protein (probably fish) and an astronomical amount of veggies.
Okay…that’s my plan this week. I’m annoyed. I’m pissed. But I’m not going to give up.
Do you have any suggestions or words of encouragement? Share them below!
Let the games begin!!! Body Composition Testing
January 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Saturday was CRAZY and I think hugely
successful.
Just check out the video I put together of our Los Gatos group (Look to the right…). It was insane!!! For this being my first “big event”, I’m quite excited that most everything went well…including the weather.
We had a huge turn out in both Los Gatos and Gilroy, and everyone is very excited about the challenge.
And I’m excited about mine, too!
I started on December 1st. I lost a net total of 4 pounds for the month of December (not bad considering I accepted all party invitations and didn’t deprive myself of any Christmas goodies. I just made sure to exercise and be conservative with my food intake.)
I started this 12-week Best Body Challenge a full 6 pounds lighter than I was December 1st, and I’m ready to kick it up a notch and get my ass back into top shape.
Now, because I told you this was going to be full disclosure,
I asked Miguel to video tape my Body Composition Test. Aaron, the owner of Fitness Wave runs an awesome business for all us health and fitness enthusiasts. If you’ve never done hydrostatic underwater weighing to determine your body composition, then check out the (rather comical) video below to see how I did.
Seriously…
It was the end of a very long day and I was feeling less than fabulous to have to get in a freaking swim suit in front of a camera. But, all in all, it went well. I’m not so thrilled with my numbers, but it should be very exciting to see what happens over the next 12-weeks!
Stay tuned!
Abs of Steel
January 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
It’s been a crazy day.
Repeat this circuit 5 times!
10 twisted high planks
Twisted Plank
10 side planks, each side
10 elbow planks: alternating arm reach
10 jack knife on the Bosu Ball, each side
10 bicycle on the Bosu Ball
10 Super Mans
Sprint up a hill!
With the 12-week Best Body Challenge launching in about 1 week (January 23rd to be exact), there is a lot to do on my part. I find myself sitting on my butt returning emails and phone calls, and then running errands all over town getting ready for the big launch.
(if you haven’t signed up yet, it’s really easy, just click the best body challenge picture to the right, sign-up, and download your program!)
Reversed Superman
But attempting to find time to get a workout in is proving to be very challenging. My legs are still INSANELY sore from the Butt Blaster Workout on Monday, and since time was an issue today, I decided to hit my core: strong, short, and sweet. I hope you give this workout a go. And if you can’t seem to do it on your own, then JOIN THE 12-WEEK BEST BODY CHALLENGE!!!
Booty Blaster Workout
January 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
This workout was short, but sweet. I did it yesterday, so as I’m writing this, I can feel how sore my legs and glutes are! In other words…
It worked!
Check it out below:
Dynamic Warm-up:
- Medicine Ball (MB) Diagonal Chops 10
Single Leg Sit Downs
- MB Squat Press 10
- MB Burpies 10
- Jump Rope 100
Repeat 3 times
Butt Blaster Workout:
- MB Forward Lunges
Plyometric Lunges
- MB Alternating Side Lunges
- MB Plyometric Jump Lunges
- MB Single Leg Sit Down
10 of each exercise
Repeat the circuit 3 times through
If your butt’s not sore the next day, then you either already have “buns of steel”, or you need a heavier medicine ball!
Have fun everyone!
New Years Cooking and Exercising
January 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
OMG…it was a crazy Sunday!
Miguel and I set the intention to get to the grocery store and to shop for food for the week, then cook most of our food, and then pre-package it all into single-serving containers to make our life easier this week.
Well, we didn’t get to the grocery until 7pm.
I didn’t start cooking until 8, but in a few short hours it was over: our first Sunday night cook-off of the New Year.
Here’s what we made (by the way…these dinner ideas originated from your bad-ass 6am Los Gatos Bootcamp instructor, Kat. Very tasty…)
Turkey Meatballs with a tomato and veggie sauce.
Not using much of a recipe…here goes:
- Mix 2 pounds of ground turkey with egg whites (1/2 cup?), dried basil, oregano, 6-7 cloves of minced garlic, salt (little), and ¼ cup or less of tomato paste.
- Pat them into balls and place on baking sheet.
- Put in the oven at 350 and cook through, somewhere between 30-45 minutes.
For the sauce
- Sautee onions, mushrooms and peppers in a little olive oil until onions become opaque
- Add tomatoes (fresh or canned…I used 4 cans), a little basil pesto, more of the same spices I used in the turkey meat, can of garbanzo beans, broccoli, and cauliflower (you can add just about any veggie you want here…and don’t be shy…use a ton!)
- Let the flavors simmer together and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and ala dente.
Miguel wants to eat it with a whole wheat pasta. I’ll eat it with spaghetti squash underneath, or just as it is.
Salsa chicken with veggies, black beans and corn.
Salsa Chicken with Black Beans and Corn
(this is my new favorite dish!)
• Spray a pan with Pam
• Season the chicken breast (this time I used Spike, garlic powder, and some new weird one I found at Trader Joes)
• Cook the chicken almost all the way through
• Add the salsa (I highly recommend Mrs. A’s Salsa Buena. Their local here in Los Gatos and might be the best salsa I’ve ever tasted) and let cook longer
• Add the veggies (whatever you want. I used mushrooms, red peppers and onions)
• Add a can of corn and can of black beans (or more if you’d like)
We (read: “I”) cooked all the food, and then portioned everything out into containers so we are fully set for the week! I’m so excited! I was able to work my butt off today without stressing over what to eat.
The big question is will we keep our momentum up and do it next Sunday? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out!
12-Week YOUR BEST BODY CHALLENGE!
January 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Okay Ladies & Gentlemen – The 12-Week Best Body Challenge IS ON!!
You’ve all been getting excited about it for a few weeks now, so let me go ahead and lay out all the details here:
How the Challenge Works:
1. It’s FREE! But don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s not valuable. This is the fastest way to lose weight, drop dress or pants sizes, transform your body and look and feel better than you have in years…in just 12 short weeks.
2. Go to www.redshiftfitness.com to download the Your Best Body Challenge 12 Week Transformation Guide ($49 value) absolutely free. You can also download it from this website, too. See the Best Body Challenge banner to the right of this page? Just click on that and you’ll be able to sign-up there!
3. A one-time, small donation of $10 to the Boys &Girls Club is the only requirement to participate in the Challenge.
Who the Challenge Is For:
All women and men from 18-80 (and teens aged 15-17 with parental permission) who want to lose weight quickly, safely and permanently, and truly get “Your Best Body” by following a proven 12- week exercise and nutrition supervision and with the support of one of America’s leading body transformation experts, Audra Baker, and her team of certified personal trainers.
(Okay…It feels weird to talk about myself in the 3rd person…and even harder to gloat about myself! But, check out the winner of our last 12-week challenge that we did this past summer….)
This is a great picture of Susan before the challenge.
This is Susan NOW. She's a Mom of two very young kiddos and after the 12-week challenge and some hard work in Bootcamp...THIS IS SUSAN NOW!!!
BOTTOM LINE…THIS PROGRAM WORKS!!! IT WORKED FOR HER (AND MANY OTHERS), AND IT CAN WORK FOR YOU!
Susan is but one example of the many who participated last summer and who saw dramatic changes. Most of my clients saw a minimum of 10 pounds of body fat disappear! Join this challenge. Commit to you and your health for the next 12-months, and watch your world change! Click here to sign-up!
What You Get FREE:
► Your Best Body Orientation with our Team. You’ll meet with us on January 23rd for the kick-off!
► 10 Group Fitness Training Sessions, You’ll be able to have access to our Red Shift Fitness SATURDAY Bootcamp training session for 10 weeks.
► Complete 12-Week Transformation System including step-by-step exercise and nutrition programs for you to follow on your own or with our help (your choice).
► Your Best Body in just 12 short weeks!
(A $10 charitable donation is required at Orientation)
Yes…I know….my accountant thinks I’m crazy. But I really want a way to get out into the community and help people reach their goals. If you are reading this and you know people in your life you could use this kind of support, then PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send them our way. Direct them to this site and get them to sign up with you!
What You Can WIN:
► One Grand Champion will be chosen based on the criteria described in the Your Best Body Guide. He or she will win gifts and prizes valued at $750. (Sign up and Download the Guide Here)
► Two Runners Up will be chosen based on the criteria described in the Guide. They will each win gifts and prizes valued at $350. (Sign up and Download the Guide Here)
► Let’s get real here…you’re going to get a smokin’ hot body just in time for summer. If that’s not motivation enough….I don’t know what is! Think about it…Finally dropping that extra weight, toning up through your thighs and glutes, and sporting those tank-top arms all summer long! You CAN DO THIS!!! Click on the “Best Body Challenge” Button right now to sign up!!!
We would love to help you achieve your goals and win this contest!
Look, one Saturday workout a week is great motivation, but will not likely get you to your goals. I encourage you to give our full program a go and watch what happens to your body when you attend our Bootcamp Training Sessions regularly! Give me a call at the office to see if the program is right for you. 408-356-5716 Below are ways that we can help you achieve your goals:
We have a blast at Boot Camp!
1. Sign up for our Full Bootcamp Program for the next 12-weeks. Your instructors are motivating and amazing and will be with you every step of the way to help you reach your goals!
2. Most you may not realize it, but your amazing trainers are also amazing Personal Trainers! If you’re craving some individual attention to get you to reach your goals (and win this contest!), then make sure to call our office to learn more about our personal training services.
3. The 12-week program that you will download as part of Your Best Body Challenge is a $49 value and packed with great information on exercise and nutrition. But if you are anything like me…then you probably already know a little about basic nutrition and what to eat. It never the “knowing” part that stumps me along the road to weight loss and healthy physique. I always KNOW what to do…I JUST DON’T DO IT! If this describes you, then you really need to check out my 12-week fully comprehensive Program: Coaching Healthy Eating and Weight loss. (CHEW). In this program, we get deep into the real issues of why you’re not losing weight. From Self-sabotage, to emotional eating, to real reasons for weight loss resistance. When you finally tap into these issues, you truly become free. Click here to find out more.
When?
The Challenge starts Saturday, January 23rd and ends Saturday April 17th.
More details to come soon!
What else?
Hydrostatic Underwater Weighing is the GOLD STAR in Body Fat Testing and is over 98% accurate!
Well there is one more thing that you really need to know about. I have partnered up with Fitness Wave to offer you the opportunity to get your body composition tested for only $25 per test!!! If you’ve never had an accurate body composition test, then this is not only your opportunity, but it’s your opportunity to do it for next to nothing! (Just to give you a comparison, they usually charge more than $60 per test. We are getting two tests or less than the price of one!)
Aaron and Peg Dietz are the owners of Fitness Wave and they totally rock. Not only are they giving us an amazing deal, but they do an amazing job and everyone has had nothing but great things to say about their experience.
Please note: This testing is NOT necessary to participate in the challenge, but I highly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to see your true beginning body composition and watch how it changes over the course of 12 weeks. Everyone that does it is so glad they did. Everyone that doesn’t ALWAYS comes up to me afterward and regrets it. Don’t be one of those people! Call the office today to sign up!
A FINAL WORD:
If you’ve read this far down…you are obviously very interested in doing this challenge. Any why wouldn’t you be. We’ve literally made it as easy as possible for you join and finally get the body you deserve. Imagine where you could be in 90 short days. Imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to slip those jeans on with ease, to feel lean and strong, and finally take control of your health and your weight. This IS YOUR YEAR! You CAN do this! Sign up right now and start taking charge of your health!
