The Miracle Pill????

Life happens.  For some it seems to happen more than others.  It causes stress and, for many, high blood pressure.  Life also causes us to make unhealthy choices at times in our diets.  When I say diet, I am not talking about eating clean until you have lost the weight or buying highly processed foods, I am talking about eating clean as a lifestyle. 

We have become a society of impatience and inconvenience.  Many times we have also become lazy in what we should be doing for ourselves.  It is easier to take a pill and put things in the microwave than it is to workout and eat wholesome foods.  The problem with all medications though is they all have side effects.  Some worst than others.  So you need another pill to counteract the last pill and so on.  You are dishing money out of your pockets for medications instead of choosing the right choice of, taking a little more time and preparing foods that are not laden with chemicals. 

It is easier to sit on the couch, watch TV, or play hours on end on Facebook, while eating a microwaved "healthy" meal.  (side note; they aren't healthy!).  I get it, I really do.  I have been there!  But you don't have to stay there.  I told myself I was going to get out of my slump.  I was going to push myself back to optimal health!  You know something?  I get closer to it each day.  All by eating whole, unprocessed foods, finding at least an hour a day to exercise, and taking the right supplements.

I know, I have been ranting about taking a pill.  However I do take supplements.  I do not take the miracle pills.  The pills that promise rapid weight loss results and you can eat whatever you want and live normally.  Some of them work, they really do.  But once you stop taking them you gain it all back.  This is because you didn't learn anything.  You still eat the same foods and didn't increase your activity.  You were still eating the microwave junk and sitting at the computer on facebook, when you could have exercised and eaten a healthy, wholesome meal. 

It takes lifestyle changes.  It takes dedication.  None of us have the time.  We have to MAKE THE TIME!  You make the time to get all of the things you do at work, done.  Why not MAKE the time to get your health in order? 

I told you I take supplements.  Here is what I take.  Shakeology - a healthy whole food, meal replacement shake.  As far as pill form, I take Beachbody Joint support formula, Activit Multivitamins, Beachbody Omega 3 Fish Oil, and Beachbody Herbal Immune booster (I work in a prison there are all sorts of creepy crawlies).

If you need help with getting started then sign up to have me coach you for free at Http://beachbodycoach.com/coachseanx.  I will help you.  You just got to ask.

EAT CLEAN AND WORKOUT DIRTY!

Les Mills Pump

I have a confession to make.  When I started Les Mills Pump I was very skeptical.  I was a diehard P90X and Insanity guy.  To me Les Mills Pump looked like a workout for people of the female persuasion.  Alas, my wife wanted to do it and wanted me to do it with her, so I did.

Let me start with what you get.  Les Mills Pump from Beachbody comes in two packages, basic and deluxe.  With basic you get 7 DVD's, a barbell,  and 30 pounds of weight along with a nutrition guide for you to maximize your results.  You use the barbell 3 days a week and you can either walk or do hardcore abs and flow (Yoga) on the non-barbell days.  The barbell DVD's are Pump Challenge, Pump and Burn, Pump and Shred, Pump Revolution, and Pump Extreme.  Times are from 20 minutes to one hour.  You can also purchase more weight plates.  If you are in shape I recommend doing this.  Two or Four 25 pound plates might not be a bad idea. 

With deluxe you get an additional 3 cardio DVD's, a step that can double as a bench for chest exercises, and 10 extra pounds of weight.  The schedule doesn't really say when to use the cardio DVD's, so I used them on the walk days.  The cardio DVD's are Step, Sports Attack, and Combat.  I got to say my favorite was Combat.  I just like that kind of cardio though. 

The first month I was like, "Come on!"  Basically, I was in pretty good shape.  The first month is the foundation phase basically.  It was really easy to me.  I quickly started adding more weight so that I could feel a burn.  That is what I needed.  I also noticed great changes to my body.  I was impressed.   

Month two.  New moves were added in and it got even more challenging. I was starting to rethink my initial thoughts of Pump.  With the extra weight I had it was fun.  The music from Pump gets you moving and the trainers just keep you motivated to the end!  Even when you feel like you are done and can't go on, they are yelling at you through your TV and you grit your teeth and keep going like it is nothing. 

Month 3.  This entailed two workouts.  Pump Extreme and Pump Revolution.  One workout is 55 minutes and the other an hour.  I was smoked!  Sweat poured out of every pore.  My clothes were drenched.  Not to mention the additional cardio DVD's I used.  I admit it, the workout that I was skeptical of was kicking my butt!  It became my favorite workout.  I lost over 4% body fat in 90 days!  Needless to say, Les Mills Pump is now my favorite workout.

I also have a confession to make. I got a major crush on Rachel and Jericho, two of the trainers of the DVD's.  It's all good though.  My wife drools over Joel, another trainer in the workout. 

Until next time, KIA KAHA!  (Be Strong)

Oh, and if you are interested them click the banner at the top of this page or go to Http://Beachbodycoach.com/coachseanx to see all of Beachbody's supplements and workouts.