Ditch the Gym, Results from Home!

I don't hate gyms. They are great. Tons of great exercise equipment, basketball courts, a place to swim, cardio machines, they are useful. Not everyone sees it like that. God knows I was scared to death of going to a gym to work out a year or so ago before my transformation. I didn't know how to work out, how machines worked, I didn't want people judging me, and I never saw results. I know there are a lot of people who are in this position now and these reasons stack up; they forget about going to a gym and just stay at home. Even people who have gym memberships and pay lots of money don't use them!

Well I said "enough" and I started doing at home programs with Team Beachbody and my goodness: results, results, results. The programs are so well designed, they are all you need (along with good eating habits) to have a healthy lifestyle change like I did. So here it comes, the match-up between starting to work out at the gym vs. starting a Team Beachbody program.

Equipment: Equipment and machines are not always available at gyms and some have time limits (damn cardio machines!). At home, you have your resistance bands, a cheap door-frame pull up bar, a few dumbells, and you are set! No wait times, no rush.

Nutrition: Gyms don't offer nutrition guides generally and hiring a nutritionist at a gym is expensive. Team Beachbody Programs all come with a world class nutrition guide (and it works if you follow it) and tons of online nutrition help on their website.

Science: Science? What? Yes, science, biology, muscles...when you go to a gym you sometimes don't know what to do or how to do it or more importantly why...with a Team Beachbody Program there is a proven science (muscle confusion ala P90x or interval cardio ala Insanity) that is explained to you in detail, you become smarter about your body and you get results.

Trainer + Team BB Coach = Success: At a gym, you would have to hire a personal trainer ($$$) to help you with the workouts, the motivation, and the above mentioned science. With Team Beachbody, your trainer is Tony Horton or Shaun T and your motivation comes from your coach (like me). The Team Beachbody coaches all LOVE to help and want to get you motivated to work out. Debbie Siebers or Chalene from Team Beachbody will show you how to do it, the coaches will keep you motivated and accountable! I have walked into a gym tons of times and no one has helped me out; I go into a Team Beachbody chat room and I am greeted and get TONS of help.

Proven Results: At the top of the page there is a before and after photo of me...that is real...that is not photoshopped. The Team Beachbody Programs all boast great results. Yes I know, they are hard to believe when you see them on the TV. Go to the website linked below, read the transformation stories, look at the photos. People who are 50 lbs. overweight , 150 lbs overweight, getting into amazing shape with these programs. At the gym you sometimes just see ripped dudes staring at themselves in the mirror lifting weights, and as awesome as that is...it gets old. Team Beachbody helps you get to that point where you get to stare at your muscles in a mirror! YAY!

Home Comfort: Some people drive thirty minutes to get to the gym. That is an hour of driving daily to work out, that sucks...what also sucks is some people use the long drive as an excuse not to go! When all you have to do is pop in a DVD and change your clothes, working out is easier. You are in your own basement, living room, or garage doing your thing with no judgments from anyone. At home you get to do you! Forget everyone else!

Gooooooooaaaaalllllll! Sorry, I just watched a soccer match...anyways...the Team Beachbody Programs all have a goal in mind. You get a calendar, you have a schedule, something to stick to and follow. You know why you are doing something on what day; there is a plan. At the gym, many of us walk in and just don't know what to do or how to do it and there is no end in sight. People don't see results they want and quit. Now Team Beachbody is no miracle, you still need to work, eat well, and be patient to see results; but there is a goal, a structure, a plan to get you there!

Cost: A typical gym membership is $30 a month and that just gets you equipment and use of the gym. That is $360 a year (not including a trainer which can be $60 a session!) to use a gym and you may not even use it all the time; gym memberships just sit there and get dusty. With Team Beachbody at home programs, you pay a one time fee, buy some resistance bands and you are set for life. You literally have a gym at home from the moment you buy a program. I do multiple rounds of P90x, everyone does! The average Team Beachbody Program is $120 dollars (extra 40$ for resistance bands) And you get all the great things listed above at no extra cost! Plus a coach for free! So $360++ a year (bare minimum) or $150 once...you do the math.

I still like going to the gym occasionally, and some people love 'em. But for those of us who prefer to work out at home by ourselves or with friends and want to get in shape...Team Beachbody is the way to go. There are so many great benefits and if you are serious about getting in shape, these programs are legit! If you have questions about the programs email me: tim.bell02@gmail.com. Check out my Coach Site for success stories, an online store, and a place to learn. Also, Get Trim with Tim on Facebook! (Feel free to friend me on Facebook too).

Whether in a gym or at home: have fun working out, enjoy yourself, that is the key!

Namaste,

Tim

Ditch the Gym, Results from Home!

I don't hate gyms. They are great. Tons of great exercise equipment, basketball courts, a place to swim, cardio machines, they are useful. Not everyone sees it like that. God knows I was scared to death of going to a gym to work out a year or so ago before my transformation. I didn't know how to work out, how machines worked, I didn't want people judging me, and I never saw results. I know there are a lot of people who are in this position now and these reasons stack up; they forget about going to a gym and just stay at home. Even people who have gym memberships and pay lots of money don't use them!

Well I said "enough" and I started doing at home programs with Team Beachbody and my goodness: results, results, results. The programs are so well designed, they are all you need (along with good eating habits) to have a healthy lifestyle change like I did. So here it comes, the match-up between starting to work out at the gym vs. starting a Team Beachbody program.

Equipment: Equipment and machines are not always available at gyms and some have time limits (damn cardio machines!). At home, you have your resistance bands, a cheap door-frame pull up bar, a few dumbells, and you are set! No wait times, no rush.

Nutrition: Gyms don't offer nutrition guides generally and hiring a nutritionist at a gym is expensive. Team Beachbody Programs all come with a world class nutrition guide (and it works if you follow it) and tons of online nutrition help on their website.

Science: Science? What? Yes, science, biology, muscles...when you go to a gym you sometimes don't know what to do or how to do it or more importantly why...with a Team Beachbody Program there is a proven science (muscle confusion ala P90x or interval cardio ala Insanity) that is explained to you in detail, you become smarter about your body and you get results.

Trainer + Team BB Coach = Success: At a gym, you would have to hire a personal trainer ($$$) to help you with the workouts, the motivation, and the above mentioned science. With Team Beachbody, your trainer is Tony Horton or Shaun T and your motivation comes from your coach (like me). The Team Beachbody coaches all LOVE to help and want to get you motivated to work out. Debbie Siebers or Chalene from Team Beachbody will show you how to do it, the coaches will keep you motivated and accountable! I have walked into a gym tons of times and no one has helped me out; I go into a Team Beachbody chat room and I am greeted and get TONS of help.

Proven Results: At the top of the page there is a before and after photo of me...that is real...that is not photoshopped. The Team Beachbody Programs all boast great results. Yes I know, they are hard to believe when you see them on the TV. Go to the website linked below, read the transformation stories, look at the photos. People who are 50 lbs. overweight , 150 lbs overweight, getting into amazing shape with these programs. At the gym you sometimes just see ripped dudes staring at themselves in the mirror lifting weights, and as awesome as that is...it gets old. Team Beachbody helps you get to that point where you get to stare at your muscles in a mirror! YAY!

Home Comfort: Some people drive thirty minutes to get to the gym. That is an hour of driving daily to work out, that sucks...what also sucks is some people use the long drive as an excuse not to go! When all you have to do is pop in a DVD and change your clothes, working out is easier. You are in your own basement, living room, or garage doing your thing with no judgments from anyone. At home you get to do you! Forget everyone else!

Gooooooooaaaaalllllll! Sorry, I just watched a soccer match...anyways...the Team Beachbody Programs all have a goal in mind. You get a calendar, you have a schedule, something to stick to and follow. You know why you are doing something on what day; there is a plan. At the gym, many of us walk in and just don't know what to do or how to do it and there is no end in sight. People don't see results they want and quit. Now Team Beachbody is no miracle, you still need to work, eat well, and be patient to see results; but there is a goal, a structure, a plan to get you there!

Cost: A typical gym membership is $30 a month and that just gets you equipment and use of the gym. That is $360 a year (not including a trainer which can be $60 a session!) to use a gym and you may not even use it all the time; gym memberships just sit there and get dusty. With Team Beachbody at home programs, you pay a one time fee, buy some resistance bands and you are set for life. You literally have a gym at home from the moment you buy a program. I do multiple rounds of P90x, everyone does! The average Team Beachbody Program is $120 dollars (extra 40$ for resistance bands) And you get all the great things listed above at no extra cost! Plus a coach for free! So $360++ a year (bare minimum) or $150 once...you do the math.

I still like going to the gym occasionally, and some people love 'em. But for those of us who prefer to work out at home by ourselves or with friends and want to get in shape...Team Beachbody is the way to go. There are so many great benefits and if you are serious about getting in shape, these programs are legit! If you have questions about the programs email me: tim.bell02@gmail.com. Check out my Coach Site for success stories, an online store, and a place to learn. Also, Get Trim with Tim on Facebook! (Feel free to friend me on Facebook too).

Whether in a gym or at home: have fun working out, enjoy yourself, that is the key!

Namaste,

Tim

A Great Whey 2 Get Protein!

Protein is important. Whether you are doing a nutrition plan like P90x that has you eating A TON of protein for the first 30 days, or if you are just a regular Joe...we need protein. Primarily it is for building and repairing body tissues (like muscle) and structures. Sometimes, protein is not easy to get in healthy forms. For instance, there is a good amount of protein in a hamburger...but it is a hamburger. Even lean ground turkey meat from the supermarket is not only expensive, but it is generally riddled with antibiotics. Free range turkey is much better but it is expensive, and shoot, I am poor. And what about the vegetarians it is hard for them to get complete proteins! it is recommended we eat as many grams of protein as our weight (180 lbs person should eat 180 grams of protein) Jeeze! How do we get enough protein in our bodies?! Answer: Whey protein powder.

A lot of people (girls especially, no offense ladies) equate buying a tub of some kind of powder from GNC with a massive body builder juiced up on steroids. WRONG. Buying a package of whey protein and drinking it with some water, milk, or in a smoothie, is not going to make you huge. It is just a simple way to get easy to digest, low to non fat protein in your system. Plus there are tons of fun flavors. Don't get me wrong, some brands are awful, some are excellent (I'll reveal what to look for below, and what tastes best), but whey protein powder is a goldmine for getting in shape.

Here are just a few benefits of whey protein:

* Naturally complete protein, i.e. is has all the amino acids for a daily diet
* Easy to digest, fast protein to speed muscle building and recovery
* More energy is needed to burn/digest protein --> more weight loss
* Slows glucose absorption in the bloodstream, reduces hunger cravings via lower insulin levels and increases fat burning
* High amounts of leucine, a key amino acid for promoting lean muscle tissue growth

Ok, so here are the best whey proteins on the market in my opinion.

1. Team Beachbody Whey (was there any doubt, I mean come on, I am a beachbody coach)...very fine and delicious, not too chalky at all. Chocolate and vanilla, they keep it simple. Buy it here

2. AMP Whey by GNC. Almost like sugar cause its so fine and not chalky (though not much sugar in it). Very very fine crystalized look, dissolves amazingly well, tastes fantastic.

3. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard (Pictured above) or Muscle Milk. This is my go to generally, so good, lots of great flavors and it is not too expensive. It looks chalky, but it mixes really well.

Stick to the basic flavors, chocolate, vanilla, cookies and cream. The fancy flavors like banana, or mocha are risky but some people like 'em.

You should generally look for around 18 - 25g of Protein per scoop, no more than 140 calories per scoop, low sugar, low fat, and it should have all 23 essential amino acids in it, most do. Also, with regards to protein bars, the best tasting are the Pure Protein brand (Wal mart has them), but the P90x ones are good too, a little more chalky and power-bar tasting i.e. mealy.

Protein Powder can be mixed with oatmeal/cereal, I use it in my Shakeology smoothies with milk and some frozen fruit for breakfast. It is good to have some protein after a workout to help muscle repair and growth. I mix it with my P90x Results and Recovery Formula (which is essentially pure sugar! MMMmmmMMMmmm) So, add some Whey protein to your diet, whoever you are, it is a great whey to get protein (hahahahahaha). Make sure you spread it out through the day through all your 5 meals. All 5 meals should have a balance of complex carbs, protein, and fiber. Please don't think that drinking whey protein is going to get you in shape. You have to work out to do that :)

Get at me on twitter (@CoachZoso), check out my Facebook fan page and friend me :), email me with questions. I love to help out and coach! I am studying to be a counselor, so its in my nature.

Namaste.

Results Will Come, Be Patient!

Ok, so you started a workout program. You are doing P90x, Insanity, going to the gym more, congratulations, awesome! 2 weeks into your program you step on a scale, you look in the mirror, you get out the measuring tape and your "results" are not what you had hoped. Rewind for a second...its been 2 weeks. So often, in the Team Beachbody chat rooms or on the message boards I see people who are upset with their progress because they haven't lost lbs. or they are not seeing abs yet. This type of behavior just leads to obsessiveness, and believe me i know obsessiveness (i have OCD).

I used to constantly freak out about the same stuff! "How come I don't look like the guys in the video". You have to realize that these workouts take time. The "look" is the icing on the cake; what I learned to really do is just enjoy the hard work I put in and I try to have fun with it. I enjoy the health benefits, the increased energy, and the highs from working out. Sure looking in the mirror is nice every now and then, and keeping track of your progress is important, but step off the scale, stop thinking about doing it just right...show up, commit, do the workouts.

Don't think about the end result, just take it one day at a time. If you constantly compare yourself or measure yourself every day you are never going to live up to these ridiculous standards you are putting on yourself! It is never going to end. Eat well, do your best, commit, and the results will come...be patient!

As always, find me on twitter (@CoachZoso), Team Beachbody, or on my facebook fan page listed above! Always want to hear from you, so email me!

-Tim

Fat Wallet, Trim Body: Saving Money and Eating Healthy

In these tough economic times, it is hard to eat healthy because it is inevitably more costly than eating junk. Many of us are students or young professionals who have no money to spare for healthy food. I have some simple tips to help. Sure you can live cheaply on a diet of soda, bologna, white bread, and chips but you aren't going to live very long or very well. There are ways to eat healthy without emptying your wallet. I don't eat organic. Right now it is far too expensive for me as I really don't have a steady income at all, I am a student. The following are things I currently do to eat healthy and get a lot of good calories for cheap. Keep in mind I am a poor graduate student! A lot of eating healthy is just cutting out money spent on useless calories like alcohol, sugary junk etc. Put some money aside to buy healthy stuff...

#1 Frozen and Canned foods! Fruits and veggies in a can are cheaper than fresh produce and often have more nutrients because they are frozen or canned immediately. This preserves the nutrients. Fresh fruit is great but if you get it too late a lot of the nutrients are lost as it spends days traveling and sitting on the shelf. Put some frozen fruit in a Shakeology smoothie, it is awesome. Buy a can of navy beans and throw it on a salad.

#2 In Season Shopping! If you shop for fruits and veggies when they are in season there will be a large quantity of them to choose from

#3 Tap Water Don't buy bottled water or flavored waters when you are at a super market. Just drink out of a tap, or if you have to, buy a Brita Filter. Tap water saves you a lot of money and there is research now that shows that some tap waters have extra minerals in them that promote health.

#4 Buy Multivitamins! Take your vitamins, as many of our parents and grandparents used to say! It is important to take a multivitamin every morning. It is a simple and cheap way to get your daily dose of essential vitamins and minerals without having to buy tons of veggies and fruits (though those are important too).

#5 Ditch Some Condiments I know condiments are tasty, but sometimes I will look in a friend's fridge and see 4 different bottles of salad dressing that are completely unnecessary. Get one bottle of salad dressing and a bottle of some Simply Heinz (no HFCS).

#6 Plan Ahead, Buy What You Will Eat Don't buy things that you aren't going to use or going to finish, this is a no brainer. Make sure if you get fruit, veggies, breads that you are going to eat them. Have a plan about what you eat and when you eat it. For the truly obsessive, you can make out a menu of meals for the week and shop accordingly.

I know eating healthy isn't easy, it is hard to make the adjustment to non fatty/sugary foods, but you will be happier and healthier for it. Don't use the money excuse to prevent yourself from eating well. There are cheap ways to eat healthy. Get in touch with me if you have any questions or comments!

CoachZoso

Take Care of Yourself

This is not just a blog post about fitness. This is about total wellness. A lot of us are running around all day, thinking a million thoughts and "to do's". We never stop and take time for ourselves. I am not talking about sitting in front of a television, playing videogames, or drinking a beer. I am talking about stopping to sort of be with yourself and reflect. Take a walk, listen to some relaxing music, meditate, read. Do something with you and only you. You have to take care of yourself.

If you are working out 6 times a week, 2 times a week, no times a week you need to stop and take care of yourself and love yourself. I don't mind sit there and hug yourself (though that is awesome too), I mean accept yourself. It took me awhile to cultivate a loving-kindess for myself, and I am still doing it, but once you learn to accept yourself you are going to be a happier person for it. Some people say to me, "But I do love myself, I totally do," and yet when they constantly beat themselves up, judge themselves over every mistake, thought, or imperfection they possess. They never stop to give themselves that unconditional love and acceptance, so I tend not to believe them. We are all afraid of silence, of the pain and emotion that can arise if we are constantly not being stimulated or constantly doing something. Sleep problems are at a high, anxiety and hypertension are constantly on the rise, and not to mention depression. Do yourself a favor...stop reading this post right now...take 3 breaths. With each in-breath say "in breath" with each out breath say "out breath". Notice what you feel, see, sense in your body, what you think. Accept what is in you what is around you, you will learn to love yourself and love others better. You have everything you need.

Catastrophe happens, things go wrong, plans change. If you love yourself you will be okay with all of that. If you take care of yourself and accept yourself no external change or failure is going to shake you too much.


"You could search the world over and never find anyone as deserving of your love as yourself" - Buddha

Get in touch with me if you want to relax or learn how to :). I am still learning. Also if you want to get in RIPPED AMAZING SHAPE BRAWRRRRR!!!! Hahaha. No but drop me a line.

CoachZo

DIScomfort Food!!

So yea, we all like sitting down with a plate of macaroni and cheese, or a donut, or some cookies and milk because it is comforting. I read somewhere that having a gorging session of comfort food is actually ok for you because your body needs to know that it can get massive amounts of calories in case of an emergency. All the time though? The way this country does it? No. No. Stop. Ultimately, chowing down on tons of "comfort food" because we feel stressed, lonely, or afraid is going to make us feel discomfort: physically and emotionally.

Physically, it is obvious. If you put junk in your body consistently, you gain weight, you feel lethargic, you go through highs and lows of sugar rushes, you are at greater risk of obesity and heart disease and high cholesterol. As we get older and move out of our twenties, we can't afford to be eating crap anymore. Those high school athletes who could eat whatever they wanted are not going to have that luxury anymore. You need to give a crap about what you put in your body. It is easy during a stressful day to pick up a burger for that short term "feel good, taste good" high. Your body will absolutely regret it later, and if you want to be healthier, it all starts with the fuel you give your body.

Emotionally, it is a little trickier. I know I would get into these neurotic, almost obsessive moods where I had to eat junk. I wouldn't even enjoy the half a pizza or whole pizza I ate. I would just chomp away with little grunts in between chews. It was all to help reduce my stress and to help me get that short term comfort. I paid for it. I got up to 235 at one point. It was bad. Some people aren't self aware though. They just chomp away and are so immersed in their feel good eating that it gets out of hand; they are clueless and inevitably obese. They eventually have a moment where they realize "oh my god, I am so unhealthy!" and they cry or feel awful. It is not their fault at all. There are a number of developmental, biological, and culturally factors that play into overeating.

Whatever the case may be, there is hope and there is motivation. There are people like me who want to help. There is a whole community of folks at Team Beachbody that want to help you get fit. I recommend simply signing up (it doesn't cost a damn thing), check out the message boards, go in the chat rooms, there is a great community. They are what got me out of my comfort eating, you don't have to do it alone!

Find me on the twitters (@CoachZoso). Find me on the emails (tim.bell02@gmail.com). Find me on the facebook (Get Trim With Tim). Find me on the Team Beachbody (CoachZoso). For those who are working at it, great job keep going. For those about to start, I'm ready to help you out.

Namaste,

Tim

Schedule Ahead of Time!

Been awhile since I have posted anything about fitness or nutrition or team beachbody, sorry everyone. I do have an important thing to talk about today though...scheduling. I used to log onto Teambeachbody.com and I would see the WOWY Supergym (an online gym thingy that lets you log your workouts, track progress, and work out with others) and I would scoff. Why would I want to schedule my workouts ahead and log them in online? The answer is accountability and time management. If you schedule your workouts ahead of time you are more prone to actually complete them. You feel motivated, and you actually have that hour or 90 minute block set aside to do it. You don't have to worry "will I have time?" because you already know you do! You set the time aside!

I am AWFUL with time management, but now because I use the WOWY Supergym and I use the calendars that the programs come with (P90x 90 day calendar) I know what I am doing at what times and when. It makes life a whole lot easier and I feel like I am getting more done.

So do yourself a favor, schedule some workouts ahead of time and I guarantee you will find yourself doing them more often. The time is there, you just have to find it early.

CoachZoso