Recently I was at a business mastermind in Las Vegas and we got into a discussion about why people fail. The discussion was geared toward business and we ended up with a list of 10 reasons people fail. As we were creating the list, it really struck me how many of the reasons applied to all areas of our life, even weight loss and fitness.
Here are the top 5 from our list that I believe apply to fitness: [Read more…]
It seems that the whole world has become aware of the fact that the average person gains 10-15lbs during the typical holiday season; Halloween to New Years.
But having this knowledge and actually doing something to prevent the unsightly weight gain is a different story.
So what can you do to actually go into 2010 without having “lose weight” as your annual new years goal?
I actually have lots of tips that will help you beat the end of the year 15 and today I’m going to share 4 with you that you can apply to your life all the time, not just during the holiday season.
1.) Eat Leans Proteins and Fruits and Vegetables FIRST 
Just because it’s a holiday meal doesn’t mean you can’t eat any nutritious food. Make sure to load up on healthier food choices first and try to eat as much lean meat, fish, and fruits and veggies as possible at the start of each holiday event. This will leave less room for the unhealthier, higher calorie treats. At least this way you know your body is getting in some good nutrition and you are not putting yourself at excessive risk for sickness and/or other health concerns.
2.) Drink, Drink, Drink Water!
Water competes for space in your stomach and truly helps decrease appetite. For every plate you eat, try to drink at least 1-2 glasses of water. After that second plate, when you have 1 full liter of water in your stomach, I bet you might just throw in the towel!
3.) Control your Portions
Try to eat only half of all the servings of unhealthy food that you choose. Half of the portions equal half the calories!
4.) Use Lower Calorie/Carbohydrate Substitutes Whenever Possible
Instead of using sugar, opt for zero calorie alternatives like splenda or stevia. They can deliver a similar taste without all of the extra sugar and calories. Even try replacing yeast with protein powder when you bake. The extra protein and reduced carbohydrates will result in a slimmer you while still providing some great tasting treats! Your goal should be to find the minimal amount of calories that can provide the same great taste that makes the holiday treats enjoyable rather than simply overdoing it because you can!
Carbs, carbs, carbs. That’s what everyone seems to want to talk about. How do I avoid carbs?
Well, what you should be talking about instead is, "How do I get more lean Protein into my eating plan?"
Now THAT is the right question.
You see, Protein is where it’s at. Check out these two little known facts about protein:
uses more calories to digest protein than other nutrients. Pretty sneaky, huh? Good sources of Lean Protein come from foods such as:
Fish, eggs, poultry, lean beef…
But some people have trouble eating enough protein each day. Some people would like it to be more convenient for them.
If that’s the case with you then I have VERY good news. And it’s news I’ve been waiting to tell you for some time now.
My buddies over at Prograde Nutrition have finally released their pharmaceutical quality whey protein.
You see, not all Protein powders are created equal. Prograde Protein:
– Delivers unparalleled purity through low-temperature micro-filtering
– Is naturally sweetened with Stevia
– Contains 5.3 grams of branch chained amino acids per serving
– Mixes instantly with just a spoon
– Enhances absorption and digestion via lactase and Aminogen digestive enzymes
Look, I’ve been waiting patiently for Prograde Protein to come out. But as usual, Prograde just would NOT release this product until they could get it as close to perfect as possible.
The best part is they are putting it on sale this week to celebrate it’s launch. You can get it at 10% off this week ONLY. Just go to www.BootyCampNutrition.com and you’ll find all the details. Including the coupon code to use when you order to get the 10% off your order.
But you need to hurry. For one thing, the special price ends this Friday, November 13th at 11:59pm EST. The other thing is, well, I cannot begin to tell you how highly anticipated Prograde Protein has been. There’s a very good chance they’ll be out of stock well before Friday even gets here!
So get yours NOW.
Sarai D. Jones
One concern that I often hear a lot from my clients in Booty Boot Camp is the fear of 
eating late.
I think it’s safe to say that we have all heard the advice to not eat after a certain time, say 7pm. Most of us have come to believe that if we do eat past that magical cut off time, our weight loss efforts are doomed to failure.
But this is simply not true as a cut and dry fact. There’s more to it than that.
One thing you must understand is that it is not necessarily just that you are eating late that’s the problem. What you eat AND if it fits into your overall calorie allotment for the day is what you really need to keep an eye on. If you graze all night, you will definitely be over your calories for the day, and your diet efforts could be shot.
Consider this; after a full day of healthy, portion controlled eating,
night time grazing is more about satisfying an urge to munch as opposed to true hunger. Wouldn’t you agree?
So what can you do?
First, you need to re-commit to yourself to the bigger picture; the process of making lifestyle changes, not just putting yourself on another diet. If night time munching is one of the reason that you’ve put on weight over the years, then it is obviously one of the things in your life that needs to change.
Does that mean you’ll never again sit down to a big bowl of buttered popcorn after dinner?
Of course not. You and I both know that to say we are cutting something we truly love out of our life forever is a recipe for failure.
This is about you getting control over your actions. You deciding when you will have a late night snack and
not just marching into the kitchen like some food crazed zombie.
Next, you need to get control -this can take on more than one form:
Change is not easy. Give yourself time to make the adjustment to more balanced eating. Strive to make small changes every day and over time you will get to your goals.
TOP 2 EXERCISE TIPS:
Nothing Beats the Power of Whole Body Workouts, Making Your Body The Terminator of Fat:
This means doing a Five-Exercise Circuit focused on your upper and lower body and everything in between. Do this at least three times per week with a day of rest between workouts and you’ll be wondering when you’ll be starring in the next 300 movie.
Here’s the plan: We’ll call this the 50-10 Split. For 50 seconds, I want you to work as hard as possible, busting your butt off each set. For the first set, you’ll have your double-leg exercise (the squat); the second set, you’ll have your pull (the renegade row), for the third set you’ll have your single-leg exercise (the lunge); for the fourth set, you’ll have your push (push-up) and for the final set you’ll have your core (the Plank).
The 50-10 Split
50 seconds of Squats
10 seconds of Rest
50 seconds of Renegade Rows
10 seconds of Rest
50 seconds of Lunges
10 seconds of Rest
50 seconds of Push-ups
10 seconds of Rest
Lastly, 50 seconds of Plank
Rest for 10 seconds
Repeat 4x, starting back at Squats
Perform up to 4 rounds without rest in between for a killer 20-minute total body workout, leaving you drenched in sweat and shedding away your gut, leaving you looking like a Greek statue.
Intervals, Did Someone Say You Look Like Your 20?:
Want to burn 9 times more body fat than running on a treadmill for 45 minutes and keep it burning for 48 more hours afterwards? Spend 20 minutes doing Intervals and not only will your heart be thanking you in the future, but so too will your body when the weight starts dropping like flies.
Here’s the plan for intervals:
Preparatory Period for those who like Running: On the first week, 3x a week, I want you to be able to work up to jogging at least one fourth a mile. I don’t care how long it takes, as long as you can do the entire ¼ mile without resting. The next week, I want you to do the same thing, except work up to half a mile. On
the third week, I want you to put all your effort into running a full mile. This gives your body a good-prep period before you start the hard work to help avoid shin splints and all the other nasty injuries that’ll keep you from
losing weight.
If you choose to do something else besides jogging, say rowing. Keep the plan the same way, just substitute jogging for rowing.
Preparatory Period for those who like Jump Roping: Oh, and if you wanted to do jumping roping. Here’s a separate plan. On the first week, 3x a week, work up to jump roping for 10 straight minutes. Make sure your arms aren’t flailing, and only your wrist is spinning the jump rope. The next week, jump rope for a total of 20 minutes. On the third week, make it all out effort of 30 minutes. Just like the jogging program, this will give you the prep period and endurance to make sure you really give intervals your all.
The real fun begins after those three weeks. On your non-exercise days, the full body workouts I gave you earlier, do some cardio intervals three times per week.
Here’s how they work:
Select a cardio exercise of your choice. The top choices are running, rowing (if you gym has one), or jump roping (a prerequisite is being able to jump rope for 30 minutes). Now, this 20-10 split is simply 20 seconds
of INTENSE work, following by ten seconds of active rest. Now, repeat eight times, for four minutes total. Active rest for one minute, and repeat the entire thing for up to 20 minutes
If you want to do this at home, do it with jumping jacks, jump squats, or burpees. Use the preparatory period, I wrote for jumping rope for any of these exercises, and you’ll be a lean, mean, fat-burning machine in no time.
TOP 2 DIET TIPS
You thought you could get away from Eating, just because you’re late for work:
Eat Breakfast when you wake up. Don’t avoid it please. You need to eat every two to four hours to help starve the fat and feed your protein grubby muscle. By constantly feeding the worker bee (your muscle and stomach), they will constantly be revved up through the day, making sure that you don’t eat a hearty meal that will knock you out for the rest of the day – food coma anybody? Enjoy those meals with animal protein (meat, eggs, cheese, milk, etc.) and your body will thank you.
The Broom of your body, Eat it with Carbs and Watch Your Body Melt Before Your Eyes – Just the bad stuff of course: Fiber is your friend, eat lots of green veggies to fill your bell during and between meals. To keep your fat-burning furnace running like a berserk boar, eat simple carbs like fruit, rice, and white bread to within 1-2 of your workout when your body best uses starches and sugars.
Eat an unlimited amount of fibrous, cruciferous green veggies to fill your belly both during and between meals. For optimal fat-burning, try to limit fruit and other carbohydrate consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout when your body best tolerates starches and sugars.
With these 2 training and nutrition rules, it’ll look like you’ve found the fountain of youth. Your body will transform faster than any of the robots in Transformers and no doubt you’ll be proud of all that you’ve
accomplished, guaranteed.
Stay focused,
Sarai Jones
PS- Please forward this blog post to anybody that you know
who can benefit from it!
Tamar has finished week one of her six week ‘Sexy In 6’ transformation program.
It wasn’t all pretty like a lot of the advertising today tries to tell you it is. She had some ups and some downs and I think you will relate to her struggles.
But it all has a happy ending so check out the video here.
If you want to get more information on this life changing program as soon as it’s available, go to www.Sexyin6.com and get on the advanced notice list now.
Stay focused,
Sarai D. Jones
So by now you’ve probably heard that Olympic champion Michael Phelps has gotten himself into a little bit of hot (bong) water. I felt I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by without sharing some lessons from his mishap.
First, we all have to remember that we’re role models. Somebody somewhere is looking up to us for
guidance. It’s a shame Michael Phelps screwed up, but he did. What’s done is done. I know it reminded me that as a fitness pro, I MUST lead by example.
Second, again, he screwed up. And while I’m not one to give people a million chances, I do believe
in second chances. And forgiveness. Which, when it comes to melting fat and getting fit, is VERY important.
I can tell you from experience working with hundreds of people with similar goals to yours, you WILL screw up somewhere along the way. The key to success is to forgive yourself and move forward.
The people who truly fail are the ones that just give up the first time they make a mistake.
Third, this has nothing to do with what Michael Phelps has recently done, but it’s another great reminder. If you want a lean, hard body and 6 pack abs, you’re going to need to WORK. Regardless of his recent actions Michael Phelps is an Olympic Champ because he worked his rear end off. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that achieving your fitness goals is going to be a piece of cake.
Fourth, much was made during the Olympics of Michael Phelps and the massive amounts of calories he was consuming. If YOU want to get into peak condition you need the proper nutrition. Period.
Look, if you’re not eating enough fruits and vegetables you need a Whole Foods based multi like
If you aren’t optimizing your workouts by refueling with the correct blend of carbs to protein (based on the research) then you need to start using Prograde Workout like I do.
Anyway, when you see a news story like this one involving Michael Phelps, always remember to look for the positive lessons you can learn.
Stay focused,
Sarai D. Jones
PS – If you’re serious about your training and want the best nutritional products, then use what I use
– Prograde Nutrition
February is the month that most people revert to their pre-New-Year’s-Resolution habits. Have you given up on your fitness goals yet?
"If you are looking for an excuse to fall off the wagon, the universe will provide one."
That was the lesson that Oprah shared in her recent confession about her ongoing struggle with weight. Oprah knows how it feels to fall off the fitness wagon; in the January issue of The Oprah Magazine she described her recent 40 pound weight gain.
Her testimony was filled with valuable insights for anyone else prone to relapse. There was a hidden cycle that I found in her story – one that exposes the process of falling off the wagon.
1) You Fall
Your fall off the wagon could take place in a single moment, or it could be the result of a drawn out process. Oprah described her fall as one that happened slowly as a result of health problems. These health problems became her reason for not exercising.
Illness, vacation, holidays, changes at work or any other change in your schedule are all things that’ll get you off the wagon. Once you’re off the real damage begins.
2) You Surrender
There comes a point after you fall off the wagon that you simply throw your hands up in the air and give in. For Oprah this was a dramatic moment. "I started eating whatever I wanted – and that’s never good. My drug of choice is food. I use food for the same reasons an addict uses drugs: to comfort, to soothe, to ease stress."
This is the most destructive part of the cycle. You remove all expectations from yourself and as a result you plummet into an unhealthy realm. The progress that you’ve made toward your goals is lost and even more weight is gained.
3) You Hit Bottom
Inevitably there comes the moment when you hit bottom. Your body shows the new weight gain and you feel awful about it. For Oprah it was a sobering moment. "I felt completely defeated. I thought, I give up. I give up. Fat wins." She went so far as to say, "I felt like a fat cow. I wanted to disappear."
While hitting bottom is never a fun experience, it is a necessary one. The pain must become great enough for you to turn it around and take the control back.
4) You Take Control
Now comes the good part. When you hit bottom you were out of control, now you’re ready to once again grab the reigns. Oprah says that "These days I’ve put myself back on my own priority list."
She plans to get an hour of exercise five or six days a week, as well as eating healthfully and reordering her life to include time to replenish her energy. Her new goal is to be strong and healthy and fit.
Have you fallen off your priority list, like Oprah fell off hers?
The time has come to put yourself back on that priority list. The time has come to decide that you are worth it.
I’m here to help you do just that. Email me today to get started on an exercise program that will change your body and your life…just like Oprah.
Stay focused,
Sarai D. Jones
As a fitness expert, you know I’ll never promise you a pill is going to be the answer to that "jiggle in your wiggle." If you want a flat sexy stomach you’re going to have to work for them.
BUT…
There is some very promising research out there in regards to a dietary supplement you’ve probably been hearing a lot about.
Yes, I’m talking about Essential Fatty Acids. You probably have heard them called something like Fish Oil pills.
How’s this for good news?!
*University of Georgia researchers have found something pretty amazing about Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA. Get this: The actually help STOP the conversion of pre-fat cells into fat cells by causing them to die out before they can mature.
Once a pre-fat cell becomes a fat cell, well, there’s no turning back. You’ve got that fat cell for life. Imagine, actually decreasing the accumulation of fat by taking an Essential Fatty Acid supplement containing DHA!
Now let me do my best infomercial voice for you…
But wait, there’s more!
Seriously, that’s not the only benefit of Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA.
According to studies** done at the University of South Australia people that combined exercise with Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA saw greater fat loss than the test group that only exercised and did not take the supplement.
How can you not be excited by these research studies??
Now, personally, I don’t like Fish Oil pills because they cause you to burp like crazy. If you’ve ever taken them you know exactly what I mean. And they aren’t always the highest quality.
I prefer EFA Icon from Prograde Nutrition because they use Krill Oil. It’s been found to be a superior source of Essential Fatty Acids containing DHA. Plus, with EFA Icon there are NO fish burps. And I haven’t even mentioned all the amazing health benefits from this dietary supplement.
If you’re looking to accelerate your fat loss results than I really recommend you go with Prograde Nutrition’s EFA Icon. You can get it here: www.bootycampnutrition.com/Icon
Stay focused,
Sarai D. Jones
PS – Remember, EFA Icon is NOT a miracle solution. You will need sound nutrition and exercise. BUT the research is there. It’s definitely a supplement with powerful fat loss properties. www.BootyCampNutrition.com/Icon
* Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136:2965-2969** American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85:1267-1274
The dream: home cooked, healthy meals – fast food, dollar menu pricing.
Ever heard of a dinner prep kitchen?
A prep kitchen is a facility where most of the prep work that goes into cooking a meal, including the shopping, is done for you. All the vegetables are sliced, diced and chopped. The meats rinsed and trimmed and all the spices and seasonings laid out. Your job is to simply log onto the website of the place you are going, and choose from an ever changing menu of dinner options. The facility I took my Elk Grove boot camp ladies to this past weekend, Dinner My Way in Elk Grove (www.dinnermyway.com)- has about 15 meals on the menu each month. Once you reserve a time to prepare your food and decide what you are going to make, all you then need to do is show up and follow the directions given at each of the meal stations to prepare healthy meals up to the point of actually cooking them.
Besides doing all the grunt work for you, another great feature of these types of facilities is that the nutrition information is usually listed right on the website so you can make healthy selections that further you along in your fat loss goals or in your resolve to eat healthier. The average at home cook time for one of these meals is about 15 minutes and the average cost per serving is a very budget friendly $3.50.
Most of the ladies in my Elk Grove Booty Boot Camp had never heard of places like this, or they had, but really didn’t understand how it worked. so I took them on a field trip to see first hand what it is all about. It was a huge hit! All of the women from my busy moms to the single 20-somethings in my boot camp saw a place in their eating plan where an option like this could fill a gap that might have before been filled with unhealthy choices that somehow got them extra burpies in boot camp each week 😉 .
Check out the video I made of our field trip, and then check out a dinner prep kitchen near you.
Stay focused
Sarai D. Jones