Making Excuses

Do what YOU love!

When you begin your exercise program, you have to choose something you enjoy, otherwise you will not be miserable and end up potentially failing.  


I know this from my own experience and it's taken me a while to figure that out.  


I've tried structured plans and have participated in complete rounds of various programs but I have the kind of personality that gets bored easily.  I need constant change to keep myself happy.


I aim for some sort of cardio activity at least 5-6 days per week for 30 minutes.  It might consist of Turbo Fire (which I LOVE!), a walk on the treadmill while catching up on a show that I've DVR'd or some belly dancing.


When you find that your activity is one in which you enjoy, you're more apt to following through with each day.  And then, each day that you do it, it will become a consistent and healthy habit.


What are some physical activities that you enjoy doing?

5 Keys to Treating Depression through Exercise

By Omar Shamout

About 19 million people in the United States suffer from some form of depression ranging from mild to severe. It's hard to imagine that something as seemingly intangible as the feeling of sadness is governed by science, but it's true. Emotions, like everything else found inside our bodies, can be broken down into chemical equations. The upside of this is that you can sometimes take charge of which emotions your brain generates by altering the things you do every day. Yes, there are a number of pharmaceutical treatments for depression, but studies show that our bodies produce a natural defense that can combat this debilitating mental condition.

What are these organic wonder drugs, you ask? And how do we get them? The answer is endorphins, and you get them through exercise. These chemicals interact with receptors in our brains that send a euphoric feeling throughout the body to combat pain in all its forms. Many people have dubbed this phenomenon "runner's high."

Evolution has gifted us with an anatomy filled with a vast repository of resources that can fight many of the obstacles nature will throw at us. The key is understanding how to unlock the door and utilize all the tools we have available at our disposal. So, with some hard work and dedication, we might be able to discover the secret to one of our self-healing properties.

1. Consistency. Because depression is a chronic problem that can't be cured by an hour in the gym, sufferers must realize that it takes a strong commitment to an aerobic routine to see any improvement. Even then, endorphins alone may not be enough to aid in more severe cases. Research studies conducted by Harvard Medical School found that daily aerobic exercise over a sustained period of time can have exactly the same impact on lowering rates of depression as antidepressant drugs can have. The length of the daily workout is crucial though, as workouts of less than 15 minutes produced negligible results compared to those of 30 minutes or more. Workouts don't have to be high impact, either. Low-impact routines involving walking and light stretching are equally effective.Prescription drugs may work faster, but the benefits of aerobic exercise on our brain have been shown to last longer, while also improving other physical conditions such as heart health and blood pressure. You must make a long-term commitment, though, because we are talking about a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. A serious problem demands a serious solution.
2. Drugs are addictive; exercise is not. You might be tempted to take an "easier" route for self-medication. Drugs such as morphine and cocaine also trigger the release of endorphins in your system, but their addictive qualities are dangerous and deadly, not to mention illegal. Overeating can also trigger the release of endorphins, but all of these activities will only make you feel more depressed in the long term once the guilt sets in, and the cycle will only become harder to break. Recognizing any destructive personal triggers of your depression symptoms is vital to understanding how your psyche got to where it is now. Exercise is one of the few coping mechanisms that is not addictive, so embrace it as a welcome and positive addition to your life.
3. Exercise can be social. Willpower, you say? But, I'm depressed! I have no willpower! Here's where other people can come in. Exercise doesn't have to be a solitary activity, and the Mayo Clinic recommends social activities as a way to cope with symptoms of depression. Maybe try joining a group dance or yoga class, joining a pickup basketball game, or softball league. Tennis, anyone? For some people, this is the way to stop thinking of exercise as a chore. The more we turn our workout into a fun activity with friends, the easier it is to think of it not as "work" at all, but rather an "out"ing. Get it?
4. Little things add up. Just because you need to get in 30 minutes of cardio a day to improve your mood, doesn't mean you have to do it all at once. Simple things like walking or biking to work, taking the stairs, parking farther away, and the like really do add up, and count as exercise even if you don't have your cross-trainers on. If you do want to wear those shoes, but still don't have the time for a long workout, consider trying 10-Minute Trainer^® for a game-changing blast of cardio.
5. Be honest with yourself. Understanding your limits and setting realistic expectations are crucial to establishing a routine that you can sustain over a long period of time and enjoy simultaneously. If you're not used to exercise, don't expect to run for an hour nonstop, because you won't, and will end up getting frustrated with yourself, which is exactly what you don't need! Ease into your routine by setting manageable and attainable goals, and build up your confidence. Overdoing your exercise routine will not make you twice as happy, so there's no need to harm your body while taking care of your head.

The bottom line is that exercise should be considered one part of a strategy to overcome depression and get yourself back on track, and shouldn't be considered a one-way ticket to Happytown. Changing your lifestyle is difficult, but a regular aerobic routine can give your brain the added boost it needs to conquer your destructive habits and combat negative emotions.

ChildHood Obesity: Why is it everyone's business?

Did you know that an obese teenager has a 70% chance of becoming an obese adult? During their youth, obese children are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 Diabetes. The conditions that were once only seen in adults are becoming more and more common in children. It's a scarey thought!!

How Can We Keep our Children at a Healthy Weight?
You can help keep your child(ren) at a healthy weight and prevent obesity by encouraging and setting an example yourself by eating healthy and exercise. Even for you, it's a good thing to develop healthy habit, regardless of your age.

According to the United States Dietary Guidelines, children should do the following:

* Consume whole-grain products often; at least half the grains (e.g., breads, cereals, rice, crackers, etc.) should be whole grain.
* Consume 2 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products for children 2 to 8 years old. Children 9 years of age and older should consume 3 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products.
* Keep total fat intake between 30-35% of calories for children 2 to 3 years old and between 25-35% for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years old. Most of the fat consumed should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
* Consume sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables.
* Prepare and eat meals at home 5 or 6 times/week.
* Provide a healthy breakfast every day.
* Bouts of physical activity should last 15 minutes or more several times throughout the day.
* Periods of inactivity should last no more than 2 hours.

source: USDA.org

Snowed in and want something to do?

Lately, the weather has caused some problems with trying to get out of the house. If you would like something different to do, try this FREE, Full length workout.

Test Your Classic Celebrity Workout Video IQ!

By Valerie Watson

The success of our own Beachbody workout programs has made stars of deserving folks like Tony Horton, Shaun T, Chalene Johnson, and Debbie Siebers. But once upon a time, there was a whole different class of exercise video: the kind that starred folks who were super-famous before they even decided to get into the workout video game. Actresses. Singers. Sports stars. See if you can match the celebrity with his or her obsolete, colorfully costumed, and often unintentionally amusing exercise video.

Jane Fonda: _____'s Workout (1982). Jane Fonda's Workout, that is. The grandmammy. The original. The one that started them all. First came the book, then came this, the first of a string of videos. This one is iconic for so many reasons: the striped leotard. The legwarmers. The unbelievably perky Oscar winner asking potential feel-the-burners, "Are you ready to do the workout?" Jane seems so confident here that you never think to ask why the "beginners' workout class" in the video warms up with ballet moves that would in all likelihood damage the average beginner for life.

Bubba Smith: _____ Until It Hurts: Not Just Another Pretty Workout (1985). Bubba Until It Hurts . . . Here's a phrase I bet you never thought you'd hear in association with a workout featuring this former All-Pro NFL defensive end: "motion-resistance isometrics." This videocassette's slipcover touts it as being "a total-body workout" for men and women of "all fitness levels," but frankly, it's hard to know what to think when you see strapping lad Bubba on the cover, flanked by two hotties in heavy eye makeup and revealing leotards—himself clad in skintight red leggings, no shirt, and red suspenders, his chest oiled and glistening under the photo lights. "Not just another pretty workout," eh? I beg to differ.

Marie Osmond: "Exercises for Mothers-To-Be (1984). Twenty-five years before she became a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and spokeswoman for a national diet system, the only sister of the Osmond Brothers starred in this video, demonstrating gentle aerobics and yoga moves appropriate for expectant women—especially, if the cover means anything, expectant women in baggy yellow, one-piece, zip-up-the-front sweatsuit/jumpsuit hybrids.

Zsa Zsa Gabor: It's Simple, Darling (1993). Never will you see anyone more inappropriately attired for exercise than Zsa Zsa is here, but it's OK, because she doesn't really do anything; she just lies there while her "two muscular friends Mike and François" move her arms and legs around for her. This video is loaded with quotable moments: "Velcome to my own personal exercise video!" "I vasn't born to be an athlete; I vas born to be a lover!" "You vill see . . . It's simple, darling!" "Now don't break my neck, because I need it!"

Alyssa Milano: Teen Steam (1988). The scene: A highly unbelievable bedroom set with a roomy, uncluttered central floor space any real teenager would have filled with a gargantuan pile of dirty laundry. The cast: Messy-ponytailed Alyssa and two straight-outta-Central-Casting gal pals who have ostensibly come over to discuss personal problems, but are conveniently attired in workout gear, so what the hey? Why not do some stretches and aerobics? The most memorable phrases: "Diagonal!" "Now we're gonna hold the floor!" "I wonder if this is how Michael Jackson got started!"

My 20 day Challenge Results

The 20 Day Challenge ended on Saturday and I'm proud to say that I lost 5 pounds. I did it the healthy way, through proper eating and exercise. I would have liked to have lost more but because of a surgical procedure that I had done and getting the flu, I couldn't exercise until my Doctor gave me the okay.

As mentioned in the contest rules, there is a challenge winner. Congratulations to Josey! She pushed play and ate clean everyday. Josey also emailed me her accountability. Way to go Josey! You are an inspiration to me and many others! I hope that everyone who participated in the challenge continues to do well on their journey.

If you didn't get a chance to participate in this challenge, I will be holding more in the future. It's just a way to have a little friendly competition while working towards our goals.

Nutrition 911: Supps, Drugs, and Rock and Roll

By Steve Edwards

Sorry, not much rock and roll, but two out of three's not bad. Today, our Nutrition 911 class moves into its final chapter: supplements. They are the final link in the nutrition chain, but one that is very much misunderstood. Supplements can be a great dietary aid. The supplement industry, however, has distorted their usefulness by comparing them to pharmaceutical drugs. So much that we probably read as much about bogus supplements as we do about ones that work. To assess this situation, it's important to understand just what food supplements are and how they differ from food and pharmaceutical drugs. So for part one of our supplement lesson, we'll begin by analyzing the big-picture differences between drugs, supplements, and food.

Holding Supplement

Drugs

According to Wikipedia: A drug is any substance containing a chemical which binds with a receptor in a cell membrane or an enzyme which produces some biological effect by altering the cellular functions as a result of that binding. It is usually synthesized outside of an organism, but introduced into an organism to produce its action. That is, when taken into the organism's body, it will produce some effects or alter some bodily functions (such as relieving symptoms, curing diseases or used as preventive medicine or any other purposes).

So it's a little scientific for 911 class, but what did you expect? Medical drugs can do some amazing things, but they still work with basic physiological principles of the body. Most drugs were created because something was found in the natural world that caused a reaction that led scientists to try improving upon it. For example, check out the next paragraph:

Note that natural endogenous biochemicals (such as hormones) can bind to the same receptor in the cell, producing the same effect as a drug. Thus, "drug" is merely an artificial definition that distinguishes whether that molecule is synthesized within an organism or outside an organism. For instance, insulin is a hormone that is synthesized in the body; it is considered a hormone when it is synthesized by the pancreas inside the body, but if it is introduced into the body from outside, it is considered a drug.

Pills - I promise to stop with all the scientific mumbo-jumbo shortly, but bear with me for a sec. This is the first clue to how our lines on this topic have become blurred. What we eat affects our natural insulin levels, but insulin can also be a drug. So can't we just eat better and not need to inject insulin? Sometimes we can. Other times we can't. For a good example of this, let's look at type 1 and type 2 diabetes; where the former is a condition that requires injections of the drug form of insulin to keep the patient alive, the latter condition is a direct result of poor dietary habits.

For another example, let's look at a Tour de France bicycle rider. Each day, the grueling race breaks down his body's tissues, sapping his natural hormone stores that are needed to promote recovery for the next day's race. Eating, rest, and recuperative strategies like massage help this process greatly. But now, through medical science, we also have the ability to synthesize these substances of recovery. Therefore, a well-funded racer can have a doctor ensure that the rider has an almost perfect recovery by injecting these substances, leaving little to chance.

Okay, so that last paragraph sounded pretty cool. What's the catch? The downside is that drugs always have side effects—any time the body gets an unnatural amount of a substance that it makes naturally, it reacts by triggering or suppressing another process. Hence, side effects. These vary in severity, from potentially dangerous to life threatening. When using drugs, you're altering your body's chemistry in an unnatural way. Carefully guided, drugs can do amazing things. Experimenting with them is risky at best.

Food supplements

The third paragraph of Wikipedia's definition of the word "drug" sheds much more light on the relationship between food and drugs, and it essentially defines what we now call supplements.

It is a substance which is not food, and which, when ingested, affects the functioning of the mind, or the body, or both. However, under the philosophy of Chinese medicine, food is also considered a drug as it affects particular parts of the body and cures some diseases. Thus, food does satisfy the above definition of drug so long as ingestion of it would alter some bodily functions.

Man Holding Salad - The Chinese and other indigenous cultures were the first to make "supplements," as we now call almost all of their natural remedies. Ancient doctors saw how eating different foods affected the body differently, especially herbs and plants. All plants have some type of defense mechanism that allows them to survive within the dog-eat-dog world of natural selection in which they live. Some have thorns. Some eat animals. But most rely on something called a secondary defense compound, which is usually something poisonous to one of its predators. While some remain poisonous to humans, others have medicinal qualities.

Through use of these compounds, we created the world's first "drugs," which were actually supplements. These were used for centuries, but they became less popular as Western (and now Eastern) medicine found ways to synthesize these compounds and discovered other generally more aggressive pathways to attack ailments. But many are still used by naturopathic doctors and other traditional healers worldwide. Most of these old-school drugs can now be purchased over the counter as "food supplements."

The food supplement industry has grown into a whole new scope. Our modern diets, now filled with junk foods, alcohol, and the like, have left us very deprived of the daily nutrients we need to live a healthy lifestyle. Many supplements are now condensed food nutrients, or high concentrations of nutrient-rich "superfoods." These supplements are actually more food than supplement, but we've blurred the line here as well, mainly because the word food doesn't have the healthy connotation it once did, so most of us feel the need to supplement our diets.

Because they go to work through natural pathways and are basically just food, it's very rare when supplements have side effects. Most that do are illegal, placing them in the recreational drug category (more below). Legal-supplement side effects are annoying at worst, and don't affect everyone the same way. Supplements are almost never dangerous. Well-publicized deaths from supplements were all a result of some type of abuse. You can kill yourself by abusing plain old food, too, by the way. And thus the reason for our Nutrition 911 course!

Recreational drugs

Recreational Drug - Since most of you must know that these are not the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle, I'm not going to spend much time on them. This is probably by far the most popular way we consume drugs, and hopefully, you'll use some common sense and restraint in this area. They are a topic today because they can help you understand the differences between drugs, supplements, and food. It's interesting to note that this has followed, almost exactly (probably by leading the way), our trend of modern medicine. Most recreational drugs were traditionally plants. Consuming them resulted in an altered mental state from a reaction to a secondary defense compound—most often probably from being slightly poisoned. Now many are made by chemists.

Not all of them are bad for you. Two popular mind-altering substances from natural sources, caffeine and marijuana, have been shown to have positive effects for certain conditions. Most of these substances have some degree of an addictive quality, and all, even coffee and tea, should be eliminated for periods of time to allow your body to cleanse itself and revert to a state of homeostasis, or internal balance.

Medical drugs should also be used with care and a healthy dose of skepticism—not just recreational drugs but even those prescribed to you by your doctor. No matter what the official stance is, doctors are under pressure from pharmaceutical companies to prescribe medication. Always question your doctor and then do your own research on what you're putting into your body.

Exercise

Man Running - Okay, so exercise wasn't a topic of today's discussion. But since we discussed recreational drugs, it's also worth a mention. Exercise causes tissue breakdown, which stimulates a hormone reaction to help you recover. What it also does is signal your brain to crave the types of foods it needs to repair itself. This is your best ally in the fight against aging, obesity, and drug dependence.

But it also releases a hormone that acts like a drug, what you've heard called endorphins. These are essentially mind-altering, recreational-type drugs similar to the kind some procure from shady characters in the bathroom of the local club. The only difference is that they're never laced with meth, chlorine, amyl nitrate, or baby powder, and all their side effects are good for you. Okay, so you'll have to stimulate their production yourself and they're addicting. But it's the healthiest addiction you'll ever have. It's also free. Plus, you're guaranteed to never to lose your job for having too much in your system.

This is my drug of choice. I recommend that you try some.

Food

Food pretty much does all of the above only slower. As an example, let's look at refined sugar because it's very easy to understand. Sugar isn't natural, exactly. In its natural state, it is surrounded by fiber (in fruit, etc.) or it is predigested (in honey). Refined, such as table sugar, it is essentially a drug. It creates a rather violent hormonal reaction that your body responds to by feeling good, then crashing, and then craving more. Most of us know this feeling. But we respond along similar lines to all foods, just not as obviously. A balanced diet works subtly. You may not feel anything different, but if you're eating well, your body will respond to what you ask it to do. Foods stimulate bodily responses that help us think, run, lift weights, recover from exercise, sleep, and everything else we do. The better we eat, the less we need to rely on drugs and supplements.

Can drugs help your performance?

Obviously, drugs can be helpful when you have an illness. That's their main function. But we've begun to rely on them more and more for everyday things. We take drugs to sleep, wake up, have sex, and sit around the house watching television. Certainly, they can help, but at what cost? Since our topic is nutrition, let's analyze drugs that enhance your athletic performance because that's what we try doing with our diets.

Baseball and Supplements - Doping in sports has been blown out of proportion by the media to the point that many of us probably think we can make athletes from scratch. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), this is far from the case. Gene manipulation is getting to the point where this could happen in the future, but current practices are limited to a few percentage points of improvement above the talent you're born with. While this is the difference between winning and losing for two similarly talented athletes who've put in the same amount of work, it's still only a small piece of their fitness puzzle. And for someone like you or me, it won't get us much nearer to an Olympic medal than we are now.

As un-Horatio Alger as it sounds, world-class athletes are born, not made. This isn't to say that athletes don't have to put in massive amounts of work. They do, especially in this day and age of scientific knowledge when you can run a few tests on an 8-year-old and pinpoint their athletic potential. But the bottom line is that if you didn't cream everyone in your school the first time you ran around the perimeter, you're not going to win the Olympic marathon, no matter how hard you train or what kind of dope you can get your hands on.

But drugs can, and do, help the layman athlete, which some of you may have witnessed back in school when the class 90-pound weakling disappeared for the summer and showed up in the fall as Charles Atlas with acne and a bad attitude. He probably credited pumping iron and trips to the local smorgasbord for his change, but it was likely spurred more by abusing dianobol. While you can completely change your physique without drugs, massive changes in a short amount of time are often the result of drugs, especially when side effects (like acne or aggressiveness) are noticeable. Thing is, Charley could have gotten big and ripped without the juice, and it probably would have resulted in more dates and less fights. We can create the same responses with diet and supplements. It would have taken longer, but it would have happened without throwing the body's hormonal releases out of whack, which would have saved him from the side effects. So let's take a closer look at how this works.

Food vs. drugs: The performance-enhancing battle

Apple and Pills - For the sake of argument, let's lump food and supplements together and stack them up against performance-enhancing drugs to shed some light on which is more important. Now let's look at a couple of famous cases involving baseball players.

A few years back, Barry Bonds famously hit the juice and shattered a bunch of home run records. While his 'roid use got all the press, let's try to assess how much it helped him. For these substances to help, Bonds was required to work out religiously, rest, and eat well. While "steroids" (a colloquial term for performance-enhancing drugs) help performance, they require extra effort. If you aren't pushing your body to its limit, they won't help. His drugs functioned to speed up Bonds' recovery, but he still needed to do the work. And because he reshaped his body by adding bulk, more time must have been spent to keep the skills of his game on par with his bulk. In essence, a lot of hard work helped Bonds hit more home runs, aided by what amounts to a science diet. Certainly, he hit more home runs because of his added strength, but with the same amount of work and no juice, he would have come very close anyway.

On the other hand, what I haven't really heard discussed is how many more home runs Babe Ruth would have hit had he not existed on a diet primarily consisting of alcohol, tobacco, and hot dogs. Ruth began using tobacco at age 7 and reportedly smoked 12 cigars a day. His late-night carousing was a thing of legend. Only when he remarried, toward the end of his career, did he pay any attention at all to his diet. His career was rife with health problems.

However, Bonds' records should not be deleted. Steroids, after all, were not banned from baseball when Bonds used them. Most experts attribute a handful of home runs per year to "doping" during Bonds' big years. But who knows how many more home runs Ruth would have hit had he paid any sort of attention to his diet. A hundred? With ease, it could have been two or even three or four hundred in a career that could have lasted another 5 years. Because when it comes to performance, the biggest variable of all is still what you eat.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the relationship between food and supplements. Next time, we'll take a look at the different categories of supplements and what you can expect to gain from using them.

Does Exercise Matter for Weight Loss?

By Steve Edwards

I'm sure by now many of you have seen the recent cover of TIME magazine stating that exercise doesn't matter for weight loss. As you might imagine, we at Beachbody are a little incredulous at this premise. After all, we have files filled with thousands of individuals who've used exercise to dramatically change their bodies. Could we be the ones who are mistaken? Could all of those transformations have happened from dietary change alone? Today, let's take an analytical look at how we lose weight.


This article is going to deviate from our usual approach. As a person who has spent most of his life altering human physiques, I'm going to deconstruct the TIME article from top to bottom and try to make some sense out of what seems like a very unlikely premise. Let's begin with the tagline:

" . . . because exercise makes us hungry or because we want to reward ourselves, many people eat more—and eat more junk food, like doughnuts—after going to the gym."

Could it be true? After all, exercise not only makes you want to eat more, but it requires that your body consume more calories to recover from a breakdown of body tissue. What's unclear at this point is where the "junk food, like doughnuts" came from. My experience with Beachbody customers (and others over the last 25 years) is exactly the opposite; exercise actually leads to better eating habits because a body in tune with its needs craves healthier foods. But this is the tag line of an article that's going to circulate worldwide. Certainly, the author is about to present some compelling evidence for his argument. John Cloud proceeds to inform us:

"One of the most widely accepted, commonly repeated assumptions in our culture is that if you exercise, you will lose weight. But I exercise all the time, and since I ended that relationship and cut most of those desserts, my weight has returned to the same 163 lb. it has been most of my adult life."

His personal example of how exercise has not helped him lose weight seems to have left him rather bitter. "I have exercised like this—obsessively, a bit grimly—for years," he states. "But recently I began to wonder: Why am I doing this?" To me it revived memories of Gina Kolata's best-selling drivel from last year blaming the obesity epidemic on our genes, where her entire argument was based around her brother training for a marathon and losing only 3 pounds. But certainly, the cover story of TIME wasn't going to be based on one man's personal weight loss odyssey.

If only Cloud and Kolata were members of the Message Boards, we could have told them how to break plateaus using a simple periodizational approach. Of course, this may have hurt their bank accounts, but at least they'd be less disenfranchised with the fitness industry, as well as a lot healthier.

But I digress. Next, Cloud states:

"Still, as one major study—the Minnesota Heart Survey—found, more of us at least say we exercise regularly. The survey ran from 1980, when only 47% of respondents said they engaged in regular exercise, to 2000, when the figure had grown to 57%."

At least he used "at least say," because other studies don't back this up. In fact, numerous studies published this decade show that children exercise somewhere between 20 percent and 25 percent less than they did in the 1970s, while only eating approximately 3 percent more calories. Statistics tell us that childhood obesity rates are over 30 percent nationwide, and over 40 percent in some demographics. Obese children are 99 percent more likely to wind up as obese adults than non-obese children. In fact, we don't need statistics to tell us this at all. We just need to be observant. The absence of children playing in the streets, the empty bike racks at schools, the prevalence of video games, and the increase in things to watch on TV should make it easy to draw this conclusion sans further input. Using this background, Cloud gets down to the nitty-gritty:

"In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless,'" says Eric Ravussin, chair in diabetes and metabolism at Louisiana State University and a prominent exercise researcher."

This seems like a pretty bold statement. The physiological response by the body to exercise is to increase its metabolism. All other things being equal, this leads to weight loss, and there is no scientific evidence to rebuke it. The only scenario when it would not help is one where an individual consumed more calories than they burned off. But not only would they have to exceed the actual caloric burn of the exercise, they'd have to eat beyond the additional physiological changes the body makes to recover from exercise. And while it feels as though we're getting to the point of the article, caloric consumption in Cloud's view is always only weighed against calories burned during exercise. Furthermore, this premise dismisses the findings of at least three long-term studies done between 1997 and 2008 that show exercise is extremely important for maintaining a goal weight after weight loss.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Cloud goes on to tell us:

"Today doctors encourage even their oldest patients to exercise, which is sound advice for many reasons: People who regularly exercise are at significantly lower risk for all manner of diseases—those of the heart in particular. They less often develop cancer, diabetes and many other illnesses."

So he's advocating exercise, apparently, just not for weight loss. Odd, when two of the diseases listed above are directly related to obesity. Regardless, this dubious setup allows Cloud to drop his bomb, which is based on spotty science and conjecture:

"That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn't necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder."

For scientific evidence, Cloud uses a study out of Louisiana State University [LSU] that showed women on an exercise program didn't lose much more weight than a group who wasn't on an exercise program when their diets weren't monitored. Of course, the women on an exercise program still lost more weight; it just wasn't very significant. But without factoring in diet, it's hard to say what went on within this group. Surely, the dietary component of a weight loss program is important, but stating that exercise is making weight loss harder seems like a stretch, especially when citing a study where the group that exercised still lost more weight. This extrapolation was summed up well in Denis Faye's blog The Real Fitness Nerd:

"Claiming that exercise isn't effective because people use it as an excuse to otherwise misbehave is like claiming a medication isn't effective because patients don't follow the directions properly."

The conjecture continues, as Cloud continues mentioning cravings for various junk foods whenever the topic of exercise comes up. For example:

"In 2007 the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association issued new guidelines stating that 'to lose weight . . . 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary.' That's 60 to 90 minutes on most days of the week, a level that not only is unrealistic for those of us trying to keep or find a job but also could easily produce, on the basis of Church's data, ravenous compensatory eating."

But physical activity is defined as any type of movement that increases your heart rate over time, so he's using the American College of Sports Medicine's guidelines for undefined exercise, making a jump to suggest this should happen at intensities that cause us to pig out, assuming those exist in the first place. This is in contrast to studies that show compensatory eating happens more regularly among sedentary groups. Regardless, it's virtually impossible to prove that moving our bodies more will make us "ravenous," especially when Cloud's still only referencing the LSU study.

His next leap of illogic jumps the shark:

"If you force yourself to jog for an hour, your self-regulatory capacity is proportionately enfeebled. Rather than lunching on a salad, you'll be more likely to opt for pizza."

Cloud provides no rationale for this. Maybe he would opt for pizza, as we can only assume. But no evidence is presented as to why someone would do this other than a paper published in Psychological Bulletin in 2000 that claims self-control is like a muscle: it weakens each day after you use it. How he came to the conclusion that this would lead someone to eat pizza as a post-workout snack is anyone's guess because, unfortunately, he doesn't attempt to explain it. It's just his opinion.

Next, he attempts to make his point using some science:

"Yes, although the muscle-fat relationship is often misunderstood. According to calculations published in the journal Obesity Research by a Columbia University team in 2001, a pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns. Which means that after you work out hard enough to convert, say, 10 lb. of fat to muscle—a major achievement—you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. Good luck with that."

Cloud's flippant dismissal at the end of this paragraph could be taken as self-mockery because no one can convert fat to muscle. The physiological process does not exist. You can lose fat (atrophy) and gain muscle (hypertrophy), but you can't convert one type of body tissue into another. Furthermore, the Columbia research has not been proven conclusive. Brad Schoenfeld, in an in-depth review of the TIME article on his blog Workout 911, cites two studies showing far greater differences in metabolic properties.

"In a study done at Tufts University, Campbell and colleagues reported an increase in lean body weight of 3.1 pounds after 12 weeks of strength training increased resting metabolic rate by approximately 6.8%. This translated into an additional 105 calories burned per day. Do the math, and that equates to approximately 35 calories burned for each pound of added muscle. A study by Pratley and colleagues came to a similar conclusion on the topic. A similar four month strength training protocol resulted in a gain of 3.5 pounds of lean muscle. Metabolic rate showed a resulting 7.7% increase, correlating to a metabolic-heightening effect of muscle of approximately 34 calories."

Cloud does manage to quote a lot of credentialed people, but he does so in a way where he either uses their quotes out of context or he interprets them in a way that's just plain wrong. For example, let's use his analysis of why running could be worse for weight loss than "sitting on the sofa knitting."

"Some of us can will ourselves to overcome our basic psychology, but most of us won't be very successful. 'The most powerful determinant of your dietary intake is your energy expenditure,' says Steven Gortmaker, who heads Harvard's Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity. 'If you're more physically active, you're going to get hungry and eat more.'"

True, you will be hungry and might eat more. What he leaves out is that not only can you eat more, but at some point, you need to eat more to lose weight. At Beachbody, this is one of the most difficult principles we have to teach our customers. At the beginning of an exercise-induced weight loss program, we restrict calories. As a person's body composition changes, so does that person's need for caloric consumption. It's not uncommon for our customers to double the amount of food they need to eat to keep their weight loss moving once they get into good shape. This simple physiological fact renders Cloud's argument moot.

And not only do individual caloric needs change, but so do nutrient needs. In my experience, the need for more nutrient-dense foods seems to create cravings for healthier foods that are nutrient dense. And since these foods tend to be less calorically dense (because they are often plant based and contain fiber), the most common scenario among our customer base is that people become less hungry over time because they're eating foods which keep them full longer.

Cloud follows this with an about-face, making a point that if people moved more, they could exercise less. Ignoring the fact that all movement is considered some form of exercise, Cloud uses some studies that showed kids who got less recess time spent more personal time exercising, and thus stayed on par with their weight loss, than those who got more recess—not exactly a damnation of exercise.

Then he actually champions exercise with the following statement:

"In addition to enhancing heart health and helping prevent disease, exercise improves your mental health and cognitive ability. A study published in June in the journal Neurology found that older people who exercise at least once a week are 30% more likely to maintain cognitive function than those who exercise less. Another study, released by the University of Alberta a few weeks ago, found that people with chronic back pain who exercise four days a week have 36% less disability than those who exercise only two or three days a week."

This seems like a strong testament from an article that began as anti-exercise. He further drives home the need to exercise with the following paragraph:

"But there's some confusion about whether it is exercise—sweaty, exhausting, hunger-producing bursts of activity done exclusively to benefit our health—that leads to all these benefits or something far simpler: Regularly moving during our waking hours. We all need to move more—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says our leisure-time physical activity (including things like golfing, gardening and walking) has decreased since the late 1980s, right around the time the gym boom really exploded. But do we need to stress our bodies at the gym?"

Huh? Who defined exercise as the need to "stress our bodies at the gym"? Wasn't this the same guy who had just told me that I'd be better off knitting than going for a run? It seems like the entire point of the article was for Cloud to publish an excuse so he wouldn't have to go to the gym anymore. He then proceeds to ask himself this exact question.

"This explains why exercise could make you heavier—or at least why even my wretched four hours of exercise a week aren't eliminating all my fat. It's likely that I am more sedentary during my nonexercise hours than I would be if I didn't exercise with such Puritan fury. If I exercised less, I might feel like walking more instead of hopping into a cab; I might have enough energy to shop for food, cook and then clean instead of ordering a satisfyingly greasy burrito."

The funny thing is that over the course of the article he actually seems to have convinced himself that he should exercise, only differently. He simply became befuddled on the type of exercise that he should be doing to get rid of his belly. It's more like an article to promote periodizational exercise, even though he doesn't mention it. He admits his confusion:

"Actually, it's not clear that vigorous exercise like running carries more benefits than a moderately strenuous activity like walking while carrying groceries."

Here we would agree, as it is unclear, especially without defining the intensity of the run or the amount of weight in groceries being carried. Not to mention the duration or the way you structured your daily tasks. What's become clear to me, by this point, is that the author needs a personal trainer. But he doesn't need one who takes him through workouts; he needs one who would plan an effective program for him. Cloud sums it up:

"In short, it's what you eat, not how hard you try to work it off, that matters more in losing weight. You should exercise to improve your health, but be warned: fiery spurts of vigorous exercise could lead to weight gain."

Again, he has it wrong. He's admitted a need to eat better and to exercise; he just simply doesn't understand the process. All his self-flagellation reminds me of the colloquial definition of insanity, "doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result." What this author really needs, if he wants to lose his belly, is a Beachbody program.

References: W. Campbell, M. Crim, V. Young, and W. Evans. "Increased energy requirements and changes in body composition with resistance training in older adults." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 60: 167–175, 1994.; T.P. Ballard, C.L. Melby, H. Camus, M. Cianciulli, J. Pitts, S. Schmidt, and M.S. Hickey. "Effect of resistance exercise, with or without carbohydrate supplementation, on plasma ghrelin concentrations and postexercise hunger and food intake." Metabolism. 2009 Aug; 58 (8): 1191–9.; D.L. Ballor, et al. "Resistance weight training during caloric restriction enhances lean body weight maintenance." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1988 Jan; 47 (1): 19–25.; R.W. Bryner, et al. "Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate." Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 1999 Apr; 18 (2): 115–21.; C.C. Curioni and P.M. Lourenco. "Long term weight loss after diet and exercise: a systematic review." International Journal of Obesity (Lond). 2005 Oct; 29 (10): 1168–74.; J.E. Donnelly, et al. "Muscle hypertrophy with large-scale weight loss and resistance training. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1993 Oct; 58 (4): 561–5.; D. Faye. "Time Magazines Lame Excuse Not To Exercise." The Real Fitness Nerd. August 10, 2009. http://thefitnessnerd.blogspot.com/2009/08/time-magazines-lame-excuse-not-to.html.; G.R. Hunter, N.M. Byrne, B. Sirikul, J.R. Fernández, P.A. Zuckerman, B.E. Darnell, and B.A. Gower. "Resistance training conserves fat-free mass and resting energy expenditure following weight loss." Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 May; 16 (5): 1045–51.; N.A. King, M. Hopkins, P. Caudwell, R.J. Stubbs, and J.E. Blundell. "Individual variability following 12 weeks of supervised exercise: identification and characterization of compensation for exercise-induced weight loss." International Journal of Obesity (Lond). 2008 Jan; 32 (1): 177–84.; C. Martins, L.M. Morgan, S.R. Bloom, and M.D. Robertson. "Effects of exercise on gut peptides, energy intake and appetite." Journal of Endocrinology. 2007 May; 193 (2): 251–8.; W.C. Miller, D.M. Koceja, and E.J. Hamilton. "A meta-analysis of the past 25 years of weight loss research using diet, exercise or diet plus exercise intervention." International Journal of Obesity. 1997; 21: 941–947.; R. Pratley, B. Nicklas, M. Rubin, J. Miller, A. Smith, M. Smith, B. Hurley, and A. Goldberg. "Strength training increases resting metabolic rate and norepinephrine levels in healthy 50- to 65-year-old men." Journal of Applied Physiology. Jan; 76 (1): 133–7.; A.S. Ryan, R.E. Pratley, D. Elahi, and A.P. Goldberg. "Resistive training increases fat-free mass and maintains RMR despite weight loss in postmenopausal women." Journal of Applied Physiology. 1995 Sep; 79 (3): 818–23.; B. Schoenfeld. "Is Exercise Derailing Your Efforts to Lose Weight?" Workout 911. August 12, 2009. http://workout911.com/?p=347.; X. Wang, M.F. Lyles, T. You, M.J. Berry, W.J. Rejeski, and B.J. Nicklas. "Weight regain is related to decreases in physical activity during weight loss." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2008 Oct; 40 (10): 1781–8.

Your Brain on Exercise

by Tony Horton


There was an astonishing article in Newsweek a few weeks back that just blew my mind/brain/cranium/noggin. Here's what I've learned from this article and further research. We all know that working out and exercising do amazing things for our body, and the benefits, other than weight loss and getting fit, are endless. Most of us also know that when our hearts, legs, and lungs get pumping, we feel much better than if we did nothing. Turns out that doing 20 minutes or more of cardiovascular and/or high-paced resistance workouts affects every aspect of our lives. The great thing about the Newsweek article is that it really laid out the scientific findings over the last few years. Here's the scope. When you're forced to pull more oxygen into the body through exercise, you break what's called "the blood-brain barrier." It happens when you climb a long flight of stairs and when you're busting through any kind of workout that gets your heart rate pumping. This oxygen-filled blood makes its way into the temporal lobe of the brain. Inside that temporal lobe is an area called the hippocampus. Inside the hippocampus lies the seahorse-shaped area known as the dentate gyrus. As you exercise, these oxygen-filled blood cells rush into this area of the brain. A chemical/protein called IGF-1 is formed and released inside the dentate gyrus, which ramps up another chemical/molecule called BDNF; both IGF-1 and BDNF are "Miracle-grow" for the brain.

Studies with kids right up to seniors have proven that high-paced workouts (www.milliondollarbody.com Power 90®, Power Half Hour®, Power 90® Master Series, P90X®, Tony & the Kids!, etc.) cause the release of these chemicals into the brain. Combine this with even more "brain drugs" like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine and you've got yourself a feel-good party in your head. Aerobic physical movement causes the release of these chemicals, and they all help you focus and give you energy when you need it. They also help you relax and rest properly. It's like a homemade chemistry set inside your skull that produces a cocktail that simulates the effects of Prozac and Ritalin. Children who play outdoors more often score better on tests than kids who don't. Regular physical activity improves memory, mood, and problem-solving abilities. Consistent exercise raises self-esteem and decreases anxiety. Study after study has proven that people who exercise 5 to 6 days a week greatly decrease their need for psychotherapeutic drugs. If your brain goes without regular bouts of exercise, the hippocampus will shrink and erode, which can lead to neurological illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. When the dentate gyrus is stimulated, neuro-genesis or neuro-plasticity occurs. I'm not talking about just slowing the aging process, I'm telling you that the brain creates new cells through exercise—brand new cells that assist in the reversal of aging. If you're looking for the fountain of youth, you can find it inside your head every time you exercise for more than 20 minutes. TMT X 2 anyone?

Day 1 of the 20 day Challenge...You in?

Today starts our 20 day Challenge and I have to tell ya, I am a little excited. Over the last few weeks, I have been adjusting to the girl's new school/extracurricular schedule. With all of this, my meal planning and workout schedule hasn't been as efficient as what I would have liked. This challenge is forcing me to reevaluate what I've being doing these last few weeks and get back to what has worked well for me in the past....clean eating and a consistent workout schedule.

I like the idea of getting back to the basics. Our bodies don't need the processed junk that we feed it. Before Beachbody, I thought it was okay to eat whatever I wanted as long as I stayed within my daily meal plan range. I'm not saying that you can't eat what you want but you should be eating clean. Meaning that you should limit your processed foods, chose leaner cuts of meats and opt for fresh veggies and fruits. Most of know to do this, we just chose not to do it. Why not start!?

I thought I would share with you some great tips from my friend Heather over at The Mogul Mom. Heather's post gives a great meal planning tip as well as other time saving and money saving tips. Be sure to check it out. I especially like the grocery shopping list idea and the 30 meals ideas that are on written on note cards so that you always have a dinner idea. This will come in handy for my household!

If you are reading this and want to start the 20 day challenge with me, be sure to check out it out. Join in if you want. It might just be the change you need!

Something to think about....

I was going through some books the other day and came across a sheet of paper that I had used as a bookmark. On it contained a quote. It's a powerful quote so I thought I would share it with you all.

"The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologizes or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins." - Bob Moawad

I'm glad that I found it because every once in a while, we need reminded that we are solely responsible for our actions. I could easily use this quote now. Exercise, for example, is an action that only I have control of. I have to find my own motivation to get up and get moving so that I can reach my goals. Only I can make myself do it. Thankfully though, I do have the support of my own coach, family and friends to help me through tough days.

I hope that you find this quote useful. If you have a quote you would like to share, leave it in the comment section. I'd love to read it!

Get into a better mood F-A-S-T!

If you are looking to get into a better mood fast, how about adding some exercise. According to a recent study from the University of Vermont, less than a half hour of moderate exercise can substantially improve your mood.

Tests subjects who particicated in the study "...showed significant positive effects on mood-regardless of age, gender, or fitness level-for up to 12 hours after only 20 minutes of moderate-intensity cycle exercise," says lead author Jeremy Sibold. Participants worked at 60% of aerobic max capacity, which is equivilant of light cycling or brisk walking.

So if you are looking for a way to burn some steam, try a little exercise to help boost your mood.

Source: parade magazine

Your success can motivate others!

When you look back at your weight loss journey, what have been some things that have motivated you to continue? For me, I had the help of my Coach, the Beachbody message boards and reading success stories of other individuals who were trying to lose weight. What I would like to do is feature some of those success stories on my blog. Would you like to feature your transformation? It can be anonymous if needed and you don't have to be at your goal yet. Just share a tip or trick that works for you and where you started and how far you have come. Your story could potentially help someone to keep working towards their goal. If you are interested in doing this, please shoot me an email (laura@exercise2day.com) and we'll get started. If you aren't interested in being a "featured" success story, I'd still like to hear how you are doing.

Workout to achieve your weight loss or fitness goals with one of these fine products.



Want to place an order or learn more? Click here to visit my personal website.

10 Healthy Ideas for you....

Here are 10 Healthy ideas to help you with your weight loss/fitness goals.

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.

Source: anynomous

Need accountability?

One of the secrets to keeping weight off may be attributed to being held accountable. In a recent study, scientists at the University of Florida in Gainesville found that women who received bi-weekly follow up counseling after their diets ended, either by phone or in person, regained significantly less weight after one year (three pounds verses nine) than those who got newsletters two times a week.

No matter if you just started a diet or have reached your goal, I can help. I coach people for FREE, working to motivate them and hold them accountable. My confidential appointments are for those clients that want one on one interaction and don't want to go it alone. I have the tools to help you succeed and will be with you during your journey. If this sounds like something you would like to take part in, please visit my website here and click the join button. It's FREE and you have nothing to lose.

My First Phase Results with ChaLean Extreme

Drumroll please.......

I took my my completed first measurements and compared them to the beginning of the program. During this phase, I lost almost 4 pounds and 2 inches. For some folks, this may not have been enough but I am ecstatic about these results. For years, I have had huge saddlebags on my thighs. They are slimming down. The muscles that I am building are making me look longer and leaner. Most of my inches lost came from my abdomen which is extremely important as fat around your mid-section is not healthy. I know that there are things that I can do better to see even better results and am working on that as I go. I must admit that this has been a hard program for me. There are times that I love it and times that I hate it. I'm making progress and seeing results so I'm sticking with it. The other thing about this and any other program is that you should at least try it for 90 days or workouts. Don't give up because you didn't loose as much as you had hoped for. Keep pushing play every day!

Can't Get No Satisfaction?

By Kathy Smith

Keeping a daily journal is important to reaching any fitness and health goal, and in my new program—Project: YOU™—participants track their hunger and satiety levels before and after each meal as part of their journaling. This helps them become more and more in tune with their body’s cues. Are you famished? Are you content and comfortable? Or are you overly full and uncomfortable? Recognizing when you’re satisfied is imperative to weight loss. If you’re still hungry after a meal, it could mean several things:

1. Your body hasn’t registered it's full yet.

2. You’ve eaten too quickly.

3. You’re dehydrated.

4. You’re shortchanging one of your food groups.

5. You're PMS-ing.

6. You’ve been skipping meals, or are not eating enough at each meal.

Log the contents of your meals and your hunger ratings before and after you’ve eaten. By reviewing your entries, you can help identify your eating and hunger patterns, improve your habits . . . and enjoy better results!

Walk It Off: Tone Your Trouble Spots

For those of you who are just starting to work out or want to try something different, walking may be key. Check out this Walking Program, compliments of Family Circle Magazine and the American Heart Association.

Walk It Off: Tone Your Trouble Spots
By Margit Feury Ragland

It's getting warmer, and we'll soon be wearing less and revealing more. That means it's time to add some strengthening moves to your daily walk. Try this workout every other day and eat right, and in a month you'll whittle your waistline, define those arms, shrink your backside, and shed about 8 pounds.

Our Body-Slimming Plan
A 30-minute workout
0:00-5:00
5-minute warm-up: Walk at a comfortable pace.

5:01-8:00
Speed it up: You can talk but only in short sentences.

8:01-11:00
Tone your arms:

Bench dips: Sit on a park bench, scoot your butt forward, and grab onto the seat. Slowly bend your elbows and drop your body downward until your triceps are parallel to the ground. Return to your starting position. Repeat 20 to 30 times.

Bench push-ups: Stand a few feet behind a park bench. Grab hold of the back of the bench with straight arms. Tuck your bottom in and think of yourself as a plank of wood. Bend your arms and slowly lower your body toward your hands. Repeat 20 to 30 times.

Pick Up the Pace
11:01-15:00
Quick steps: Return to your walk, moving briskly.

15:01-18:00
Tighten your tush:

Walking lunges: Slow down your walking speed and take a big step with your right leg. Lower your body down until your right knee is at a 90-degree angle. Pull shoulders back and tighten abs. Push off with your left leg and keep moving forward as you then lunge into the left leg. Repeat 20 to 30 times.

Calf raises: Find a curb or stable step. Stand so the backs of your feet are hanging off the edge of the step. Slowly drop heels down below the level of the step. Then, just as slowly, push all the way up onto your toes. Hold on to a railing or the back of a chair for balance, if necessary. Do 20 to 30 reps.

If these calf raises start to feel too easy, try doing them while balancing on just one foot.

18:01-23:00
Push it: You can hear your breath as you walk.

23:01-27:00
Cool-down: Slowly bring your breathing back to normal.

27:01-30:00
Flatten that belly -- you can do these on a rug in your home:

Scissor kicks: Lie on your back with your hands under your hips and buttocks. Keep your head on the floor. Raise your legs straight up in the air so your toes are pointed to the ceiling. Contract your abs and scissor your legs one over the other as you lower your legs down toward the floor. Keep your lower back on or at least close to the ground. Scissor down for a count of 8 and then back up for a count of 8. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Plank: Lie face-down resting on your forearms. Push up onto your toes -- your body should be in a straight line from your head to your ankles. Contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds. Lower and repeat 3 to 5 times.

Source: Originally published in the April 1, 2009, issue of Family Circle magazine.