I hope you enjoyed your weekend.

Have you ever picked up a book only to halt your entire life and lose precious sleep just so you can devour the entire thing?

Well that just about summed up my weekend!

So today were tackling a BIG nutritional myth.  The “experts” are always right.

So often we hear the latest nutritional study, guru, or best selling book, and take it in as the authority above all else.

In the Motivation Monday Video below you’ll learn why especially in the realm of nutrition (which is FAR from an exact science), most studies are bogus and there really is only one “ultimate expert” you should be listening to.

Once you watch this weeks episode, it’s action time!

What insights or stories do you have regarding nutritional experts? I’d love to hear your stories!

Hangin with Little Miss Lucy Lu

I just had a great weekend in Texas visiting with my family and friends, while also squeezing in a few business meetings.

My mom just got this adorable little-ball-of-fur who makes a debut in our Motivation Monday video below!

Have you ever wondered why some people can eat cupcakes and stay slender while someone else seems to do “everything right” but spends her life chronically dieting?

In this weeks training video, you’re going to learn why doing “everything right” sometimes isn’t the answer.

What you eat is one part of the puzzle, but how you eat is the other important piece of the puzzle.

These factors metabolically affect your nutritional status:

• You could be eating the healthiest food in the universe, but their nutritional ability is compromised when you eat out of an optimal state of digestion and assimilation…
  • Relaxation
  • Pleasure
  • Awareness

When you eat in a stress state here’s what I can guarantee you:

• You will not optimally extract vitamins and minerals
• You will not calorie burn to your fullest capacity

So from this perspective, you are better off enjoying the cupcake with your BFF in a pleasure state than you are the big veggie salad all stressed out.

  Below in the comments section, share with me a time when you ate something on the “bad” list, but it surprisingly made you feel good from the inside out.

If you share yours, I’ll share mine.Head on over to the blog and lets get this week rolling right!

I like this better than mashed potatoes... which says a lot for this Steak and Potato Texas Girl!

I’ve used a ton of different recipes, and have eventually put my own spin on it, so hopefully you’ll do the same!

• 1 (or two) heads of Cauliflower, cut it up.  (or use the bagged and pre-cut stuff)
• Put it in a pan with chicken broth and water
• Bring to a boil.  Take it off the stove when you can pierce it with a fork (this happens quickly)
• Drain and pat dry (very important or it will be super runny!)
• put in blender with butter and/or heavy cream (amount is up to you) salt and pepper.
• 1 tsp Kudzu (natural thickener…grab it at whole foods) with a little cold water…mix together, then add into blender
• BLEND IT ALL UP AND ENJOY!

Note: I like Kudzu because it’s more nutrient dense than cornstarch or other thickeners.  I’ve also done this recipe without thickener… it still tastes delicious, but with a different texture.

The craziest thing happened at the last speaking gig I did. 

I simply asked the audience to start naming off foods they think of as “good for your” and foods they think of as “bad for you”.

Even from the camera, you can see the surprise in my face and you can literally feel the energy in the room from this short video.

You’ve gotta see what I’m talking about in this weeks Motivation Monday Video Training.  It’s a trip!

For this Motivation Monday, I’m asking you to take a huge leap of faith and GET OFF the diet bandwagon.  There is much more productive way to lose weight than through the punishing act called dieting.

You see, I really believe there is no “good” or “bad” food.  While yes, there may be foods that can assist in elevating your health, and other foods that deter from it, over all, the concept of “good” vs “bad” has gotten us into a heap of trouble.

What ends up happening when you break your “food rule” and eat the “bad” food, on a conscious and subconscious level you equate yourself as “being bad” for eating the forbidden food.  And what do we do to people who do bad things?  We punish them.  So you have successfully created a punishing cycle that can leave you feeling a heap of shame and guilt, which equates to creating stress chemistry in the body.

And when stress chemistry rules your body, real, sustainable weight loss will never occur.

Overeating, binge eating, and weight gain happen in a stress response 100% of the time.

Real, sustainable weight loss happens in a relaxation response 100% of the time.

Now for some fun!  Lets keep the conversation going strong by sharing your “forbidden foods”.

Vibrant, Healthy, & HOT from the inside out!

I just took the weekend off and enjoyed some quality time with my favorite cousin who came in to town for business.

It was a fun weekend (more on that in a second) after a very big week of awards and speaking gigs.

We finished up our big Member of the Year Contest (Congratulations Michelle Goldberg!) and also the big 8-week Your Best Body Challenge (Congratulation Kristen Orahood!) It’s so amazing to have a job that affects people’s lives in such a positive way.

I also spoke at the event about my nutritional philosophies.

While knowing what to eat is important (which is where nutritionists spend most of their time), it’s only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to optimum states of health and weight loss.

Understanding how you eat and why you eat is an integral piece of the puzzle that can’t be ignored.

In the comments section below share with me things that you think are important when it comes to optimal health and weight loss that have nothing to do with “what to eat” or “how to exercise”. 

If I had only one single dollar for every gal (and yes, guy) who’s come up to me over the past 17 years of my fitness and nutrition career, I’d be a very, very….VERY rich girl.

Do you think muscle weighs more than fat?

Are you scared to workout “too hard” or “too heavy” because you’ll end up gaining bulk?

Even if you know the “A’s” to the “Q’s” above cognitively, do you still deep inside go about your workout “carefully” so as to “not bulk up”?

In the video below I’m not only going to tell you, but I’m actually going to show you exactly what 5lb of fat looks like vs 5 lb of muscle.

Truth be told, as women, it’s damn near impossible to add muscle to your body, mainly because (unless you’re shooting it up), we just don’t have enough testosterone.

Also, add to that the fact that most of us live daily in a metabolic state of stress.  This creates a catabolic chemical environment that makes it next to impossible to gain muscle (or lose weight for that matter).

So what do ya do?

1.  Stop creating stress chemistry.   How do you do that?  Besides the basics of getting enough sleep; Chill the “F” out!  Stop beating yourself up for “being overweight, not strong enough, not pretty enough, not successful enough, not having enough willpower, not following the exact perfect diet, missing your workout” etc.

2.  Stop waiting to live your life to its fullest until you’ve reached your goals….live your life and all its splendor to its fullest…TODAY!

3.  Start to be gentle and kind and LOVING to yourself….TODAY… (not at some random time when you think you deserve to start loving yourself… like once you’ve reached your “goals”.. that’s just freaking lame and it doesn’t work.

By doing all the above, you will immediately take your body out of a stress state (that creates fat storage and muscle loss), in to a relaxed state of being that helps you to easily release unnecessary body fat, AND puts you into an anabolic state of being able to keep the muscle you have and even add some of that precious magical metabolic machinery to your body.

And when you can do that, here’s what happens:

• Your clothes fit better
• You’re stronger
• You’re mentally sharp
• Your metabolism buzzes at a higher rate all day, therefore assisting in the process of decreasing unnecessary body fat

And Oh Yeah… #4:  LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS… MAKE YOUR WORKOUTS COUNT!

You’ll end up creating a ‘total composition change’, which means you may have lost 10lbs of body fat, but then put on 5lbs of muscle.  So on the scale, that may only look like a 5 pound change, but in actuality… it’s a 15 POUND body composition change!  Now THAT’S a strong metabolism!  (and a very good reason why you want to know your body composition… not just your weight.)

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At the end of the video, I talked about our Member of the year contest, AND our Big Event where we’re honoring them AND throwing a huge party…

#1:  CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR OUR MEMBER OF THE YEAR!!!

#2:  CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MORE INFO ABOUT OUR AWESOME EVENT:  MAKING 2012 YOUR BEST YET!!!

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Down below in the comments section: share with me:

1.  I wanna know your beliefs (and questions?) about “getting bulky”. Does it freak you out to lift heavy weights?

2.  I want you to share if you think you are living your day-to-day life in a stress state…and what you can to TODAY to start to change that.

"Suck It Up Butter Cup!"

Do you sometimes need a little motivation to keep you going?

Or how about a little kick in the pants… that works, too sometimes, huh?

In the video training below I’ll give you both. : )

I’ll show you three simple strategies that you can start implementing today that will ensure you never miss anther workout.

One strategy that has always worked for me has to do with “paying it forward”.  While yes, I thought it was a good (although slightly sappy and mellow-dramatic) movie, the concept is very important and is the life blood of how I run my company, and my life.

Giving back to others will *always* bring whatever it is you’re giving, back to you 10-fold.  It really is the only way to live.

If you don’t feel like you have what it takes to pay it forward to others regarding your own health and fitness journey, then I need you do to me a favor…

Click here to see what some of our amazing Be Fit Boot Camp members have done this year to change their life for the better.  These are real people who not only were able to make substantial changes in their lives, but now they’re paying it forward to you.

VOTE HERE FOR MEMBER OF THE YEAR!

So go ahead.  Get over there, listen to their stories, and get pumped up.  That’s the first step.  And then, before you know it… you’ll realize that it’s time for you to pay it forward.  And when you do that… you’ll move even closer to your goals of health, fitness, and weight loss.

It really matters.

Now, to make it fun, we’re holding a contest where only one will walk away with the title:  Be Fit Boot Camps Member Of The Year, so make sure you not only watch, but also VOTE!

In the comments section below, I want to know 3 things:

1.  Who is in your village?

2.  Who needs you to be strong?

3.  Did you vote???

I've spent the past few weeks "high" on my body's own pharmacy of natural opiates...NOW I remember why I love exercise so much!

Usually, the New Year is a time when I get so slammed with work that my own exercise regime falls off.

I made a decision that this year would be different.  And I’m kinda tripin’ at how much more energy and focus I have, even with 15 hour work days.

And I’m doing it all… Kettle Bells, Yoga, Surfing, Mountain Biking… you name it… I can’t get enough of it. I’m starting to feel like I did back in my 20′s!

In this video, I’ll explain exactly what happens inside your body when you exercise, and the connection between exercise and increased brain power.

But, the truth of the matter is, the benefits of exercise don’t really matter unless you actually do it! And that’s the juice of the video today…

If you can take the one trick I share with you and apply it, all the sit-on-your-bum excuses will be a thing of the past.

In the comments below, I want to hear from you! Tell me…

1. That you are COMMITTED to exercising every day this week (Monday – Friday)

2. Your mode of exercise… (hint hint… make sure you love it… I’m talking dancing-around-your-living-room-singing-into-your-fake-mic lovin’ it!)

Bike Rides and F Bombs

Hey Hot Stuff.

I think I’m learning how to relax and add a bit of balance into my life, and this weekend was a prime example of chilling out, from a much needed mountain bike ride with a great friend, to dinner and a pedi with my BFF.

Learning how to balance and more importantly, de-stress before it gets outta control is top on my list, and I think it should be top on your list, too… especially if you’re in the process of creating a healthier you:  more exercise, mindful food choices, and losing weight.

In the video training below I’ll teach you the #1 reason why you might not be seeing progress even if you’re doing everything “right”.

You’ll learn what I did this weekend, and what you can do THIS WEEK to start seeing faster results without so much effort!

Sorry to drop an “F” bomb there, but sometimes they’re necessary. (and sometimes it just feels good to say… You should try it)  Most of the our clients who “are doing everything right” tend to be so stressed out about how well they’re doing it right… if there’s something more they could be doing better…. and then beat themselves to hell when they “mess up”…  You MUST understand that all that internal turmoil and drama creates the perfect storm for your body to NOT LOSE WEIGHT.  The stress response sets off a slew of hormonal responses to prepare your body to fight.  Digestion and metabolism shut down, because the only thing your body cares about is survival at all cost.  And survival equates to storing every extra ounce of fat that it might need at a later date.

Weight loss has more to do with creating a hormonal environment that naturally cascades to send your body into an almost effortless weight loss response.  Bottom line?  Your body DOES NOT WANT to carry excess weight.  And if you gave it the opportunity (most people are so caught up in counting calories and freaking out), it would easily release the weight.

How you ask?

• Decreasing unnecessary stress in your life

• Being nice to yourself.. stop with the crazy drama, mama!  If you’re going to go out and enjoy a big ol’ p.h.a.t. dinner with your friends, you’re better off enjoying every second of it, not beating yourself up, and then getting back on track the next day.

• Move your body in a way that you love.  Although I do believe not all exercise programs are created equal… sometimes just moving your body AND enjoying what you’re doing is most important.  I L.O.V.E. mountain biking.  It’s tough, but I love it.  Do I love lifting weights?  NO!!!  BUT… I love mountain biking, surfing, and snowboarding SO MUCH… that I know my strength training regime is a necessary component to keep me strong, injury free, and on my game.  (and truth be told… even though I don’t love strength training… I always feel like a million bucks when it’s over, so I guess I like it too!)

• And if you want to know how to set your body up for the perfect hormonal balance to easily release unnecessary weight, make sure you check out the 30-day Clean and Lean Challenge.

In the comment section below, share with me  2 ACTIONABLE things you are going to do this week:  #1 Something FUN and invigorating!   #2 Something that will calm you down..

Whatcha gonna do: Hit that snooze button or GIT UP & GIT GOIN'???

I spent the weekend hunkered down getting some work done, and mixed it all up with a few yoga sessions and an awesome rainy hike with our South Bay “Best Body Challengers”. (You can check out our pics on Facebook)

But… I did notice over the past few days how my New Years Resolutions kind of started to go by the way side.

Not that it’s all lost, but it’s amazing how fast old habits start easily creaking back in if you let your consciousness go back to auto-pilot.

Anyone else going through that?

Do you find yourself easily starting to slip back into old habits?

Changing old behaviors, instilling new ones, and trying to keep up with your already hectic life it a lot of work!

In the video below, I talk about the #1 reason why New Years Resolutions fail, and give you 3 strong things that *MUST* happen if you want your new habits to stick.

Wanna see exactly what I do to instil new habits?  Check out this cool trick I figured out while in Kauai!

In the comments section, I want to know if you’ve already started implementing the 3 *musts*, and examples of what you’re doing to stay on track for those New Years Resolutions!  What’s your “Big Why?”