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.

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

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

Want a Lean Look? Lift Weights!!

So a lot of people (women especially) are afraid of lifting weights because they think they are going to end up looking like this guy on the right. False. Weight lifting in this country does come with it an image of the super jacked psycho steroid using guy, but it just is not true. People think that if they lift weights they will not get that lean slender look with toned/cut muscles. False. Here is a simple truth: lifting weights builds muscle, muscle burns fat quicker and speeds up your metabolism, therefore lifting weights promotes a lean/thin look. If you build muscle, you will lose inches, but not pounds on the scale. You will lose body fat %, but not pounds on the scale...you will be healthier, but you won't lose pounds on the scale. I went from a 38 - 32 waist with lifting and interval cardio but my weight didn't drop too much. Resistance workouts are key.

"I don't want bulky muscles, I want lean muscles," someone said to me once. There are no bulky muscles, there are no lean muscles...all muscles are just muscles...all muscle is lean. It takes an obsessive amount of lifting and eating of tons of amounts of protein to get that body builder bulk that everyone dreads; all those guys do is lift, lift, lift, and eat creatine and munch on steroids! NOM NOM NOM!! Gravity does not want your body to get that big, it takes soooo much to get even a bit of "ugly bulk".

A "lean look" is more what people mean when they say "lean muscles". To achieve this there are some simple things to understand. While cardio is crucial to a lean look, you absolutely have to couple it with resistance training. Resistance makes your muscles work. Jogging on a treadmill 5 days a week is not going to help you lose much body fat or build muscle. Speed up your metabolism with 2 or 3 days of resistance work coupled with some cardio and you will undoubtedly get a lean look over time (if you eat well of course with low fat, low carb, high protein). You can help promote a leaner look also by doing a higher rep count with a lighter weight. A little more size comes with 6 - 10 reps of work, while a leaner look comes with 12 - 15 reps. The latter self-limits your body from building too much muscle. Choose a weight that makes that last couple reps real hard though, you should be struggling on the last 2 or 3.

So ladies (and a lot of gents), don't be scared of dumbells. Don't be scared of resistance bands. Lifting weights will no doubt help you get a lean look. You will burn fat, speed up your metabolism, and be in good aerobic shape from lifting weights (the anaerobic work your body does during lifting helps your aerobic system also!). You will not look like a bodybuilder if you lift 2 - 3 days a week, I promise.

A program like Chalene Xtreme via Beachbody is the perfect example of how muscle helps you get a lean look. It is a lot of resistance band work and weight training and it helps tons of ladies get into lean super model shape. I recently saw a pic of a 46 year old woman go from "thin" and flabby to lean and tight with resistance training! P90x is another great example of a program that does this with not JUST cardio. You need to mix it up! Bottom line...resistance training is crucial to get a "lean look" and burn fat.


Email me (tim.bell02@gmail.com), twitter (@CoachZoso), Facebook links on the right and top. I really want to help motivate you folks. I am here to help :)


CoachZoso

Cheat Days, We are Human

So whenever I go to my girlfriend's college house I always find myself cheating. Not with another woman. With food. There is inevitably some chocolate lying around, some chips, some cookies, some junk that either she or her housemates have. Last night it was jelly beans and chocolate eggs. I hounded a good amount of them, and gosh darnit, they were tasty! What did I do after I ate 'em, I felt guilty. I felt really guilty. I went to the mirror and looked at my stomach, judging myself. I thought about weighing myself, I thought about working extra hard the next couple days to simply punish myself for eating handfuls of jelly beans! OH JESUS I AM GOING TO HELL.

Then I realized today...so what? Is a cheat here and there going to ruin my well-being physically? No. Is a handful of jelly beans going to ruin a transformation process? No. In fact, in newsletters, books, and blogs I have read that a healthy lifestyle usually incorporates cheating every now and then. It is okay to have a day where you have some junky, fattening and/or sugary food. I really don't recommend doing it all the time, but once every 2 weeks or so, it is ok. The reason why it is okay is that if you are constantly practicing a caloric deficit of 300 or so calories (i.e. eating 300 less than what your body really needs, in order to lose weight slowly) your body will want a reminder every now and then that massive amounts of calories are available in case of an emergency. If you give it a lot of junk high in calories it will be like, "Ok, that was nice, now I feel okay with letting this fat on my body go!" But it is important that after a cheat day, you hop right back on the wagon and eat healthy and smart.

A general tip...if u are in good shape, and are happy with your look and feel, you've got that 8% body fat, and those lean cut abs, then 90% of the time eat healthy, and 10% of the time eat some junk! for real it is ok! If you are going through a diet plan like in P90x, Turbofire, Insanity etc. you want to really steer clear of the junk for the transformation to really take place, but hey reward yourself when you are done.

We eat bad food, we drink a couple beers, it is not the end of the world. Learn from it though. Be mindful when you have a cheat meal. Enjoy it, and maybe ask yourself why did I eat this? Am I not getting enough calories? Is it stress eating? Next time you will have more insight. Maybe have "healthy junk food" like dark chocolate, or all natural peanut butter cookies. Be creative! I will put some recipes up eventually :)

We are human beings, not machines.

"Do your best, and forget the rest" - Tony Horton

As always, email me @ tim.bell02@gmail.com if you wanna talk about this stuff or if you are interested in a coach FOR FREE! Check out my facebook pages (links above on the right) and follow me on twitter (@CoachZoso). Thanks guys!

Timo, out

Right Mindset, Right Program

So this new fitness program came out...its called Insanity: The Asylum. The name alone strikes fear into some people and why shouldn't it? Back in the day, workout programs were called "Sweatin' to the Oldies" and "8 Minute Abs" I mean look at that photo on the left? He looks like he wants to kill us all, or at least the camera man! My point is, workouts have changed and some are a lot more intimidating to some people. I mean P90X sounds intense too! So we need to find the right fitness program that matches you. A quick side note, a good amount of people have purchased The Asylum and bitten off more than they can chew because it is so challenging!

A lot of people will see a program advertised on TV and they immediately think, "I can't do that." or "Look how ripped that guy is, I can't do what he is doing," or "She is so much thinner than me, that is why she can do it, I will struggle too much and look silly." These are just self defeating thoughts rooted in fear. It is really easy to listen to them. We tend to listen to our thoughts like this because we want to stay with our comforts; we are afraid of failure. This goes back to an old post, but if you give up before you try, that in and of itself is a failure.

That being said, what are some fitness programs for the young professional or busy body to do? You have to measure out what kind of time you have, what your goals are, and how hard you want to work. If you are extremely busy, you may not have the time to devote 50-90 minutes a day to working out with something like P90x, or you may not be in the best shape yet to take it on. You may want to consider Tony Horton's 10 Minute Trainer for example or Slim in 6. Here are a few programs with a quick blurb about them

P90x: The most popular program on Team Beachbody, 12 extreme workouts for a TOTAL BODY 90 day transformation. The workouts range from 45 minutes to 90 minutes and this is for people who want a challenge. You can lose weight, slim down, build muscle, get lean, get flexible, the whole friggin' nine yards with it!

Insanity: This is a total body conditioning program that uses no weights or resistance. It only uses your own body to get into the best shape fo your life with extreme cardio interval training. This is incredibly challenging. You will have to dig deep to get through this 60 day program.

Turbofire: Turn up the music on this one. This is high intensity interval training with Chalene Johnson, a great trainer from Team Beachbody. There is a lot of fun music in this one and lots of intense cardio that helps you burn tons of fat off! It is very similar to Insanity, but not as draining.

Tony Horton's 10 Minute Trainer: This is a workout routine for the real busy individual. You get DvDs and a band or two and that is all you need. You work out for 10 minutes a day at first then up it to 20 and maybe even 30. It is ridiculously convenient and people have shredded tons of weight with it.

Slim in 6: Debbie Sieber's program is a 6 week (duh) program designed to get you looking lean with light resistance, cardio, and calisthenics. It does not create bulky muscles. It is great for beginners and a good precursor to something like Chalene Extreme. It is not too time consuming either.

Insanity: The Asylum. This is the sequel to Insanity. It is 30 days. If you hate yourself, do this program. Hahaha, no just kidding. It is increddddibblyyy difficult and be ready to hurt during the workouts. It is rewarding though because you train and feel like an elite athlete. if you play a sport, you need The Asylum.

** Most if not all programs from Team Beachbody come with a nutrition guide tailored to the program itself to maximize results. They do all the work for ya, you just gotta eat things! NOM NOM NOM!!

These are just a few of the many programs that Team Beachbody has to offer. Check out http://beachbodycoach.com/CoachZoso for TONS more programs; better yet, email me, tim.bell02@gmail.com. There are at least a dozen or so more. The most important thing to take away from this post is that whatever you decide, program or no program, gym or no, whatever...don't defeat yourself before you start. Who cares about what other people do and how well they do it or what they look like! Slow and steady and you will start owning these workouts and feel great about yourself. I SUCKED at pull-ups, now I am a little less sucky at them! I have been doin 'em for awhile now too...

this is a lesson I only learned recently: quit obsessing about the results, how you look etc. just do your best, keep showing up :)

CoachZoso

11 Nutrition Nuggets for Busy Bodies

So a lot of my readers live on college campuses, or they are extremely busy with their jobs, OR BOTH. Some of us are just so busy all of the time, so how do we do it? Well personally I think we as Americans should take on less! But...that won't happen any time soon...So how do we find time to practice good nutrition habits? Here are some tips that I follow to help me achieve optimal nutrition and peak levels of fitness while being a graduate student, having a job, and managing a social life.

#1 Ditch The Energy Drink and Soda - The amounts of caffeine and sugar in these drinks is shocking. These will cause a sugar and energy rush that will feel good but then you are going to come to a huge crash and ultimately your energy levels will be completely sapped. You won't have energy to work out or anything else really and your metabolism will be confused and not work properly; it also affects your sleep. Find natural energy in good foods and Shakeology! Also, carbonation messes with your lungs and makes cardio a lot harder.

#2 Whole Grain When You Can - When there is an option for a whole grain anything over a white bread or enriched anything, TAKE IT. Enriched white breads drain all of the nutritional value of a whole grain food (pasta, sliced bread, cereal etc). You get more fiber, vitamins, and minerals with whole grain bread and complex carbs provide better energy. You also don't get a spike in your blood sugar!

#3 Portion Control - I know it is hard when you enter a buffet style place as a college student to not just eat everything in sight. Try your best to measure out small portions when you eat! Have some self control.

#4 Certain Smoothies and Bars = Good! - A quick smoothie or Shakeology in the morning is the perfect way to start the day and it is so easy. Milk, ice, frozen fruit, whey protein and you are set! Bars are also great, but be aware of the big ones that have tons of saturated fat and corn syrup! The Pure Protein brand bars are excellent!

#5 Bring Food On The Go!!!! - This is probably my best tip. It is important to control what you put in your body. So when you go to work, pack a cooler full of 1% fat cottage cheese, greek yogurt, fruits, veggies, hummus etc.. When you go to a long grad school class, do the same! Make an all natural PB and whole fruit Jelly sandwhich and a Banana. AMAZING meal. There are simple ways to prep food for yourself that take NO TIME AT ALL. I do it all the damn time.

#6 Read Labels, Ask Questions - When you buy something in the store, read labels. If you can't pronounce the majority of the ingredients you are better off without it. Look out for the dreaded high fructose corn syrup, caffeine, trans fats, saturated fats, and fake sugars (sucralose and aspartame, almost as bad as regular sugars but for different reasons). When you are in a restaurant, ask the waiter or waitress for something to be prepared a different way (whole grain pasta with veggies instead of enriched pasta in alfredo sauce), they want your money and will probably do it! (Just leave a nice tip :) )

#7 - Sugar is OK at the RIGHT TIME! - Sugar after a workout like the P90x Results and Recovery Formula is OK. Sugar all the time is bad. Make sure they are good complex sugars from fruit! I try to measure out having sugar (agave nectar in yogurt, fruit, a protein bar) after a meal cause I LOVE DESSERT. Do the same to satisfy your sweet tooth.

#8 - Eat Mindfully - I don't want to get all Buddha on you, well I actually very much want to but I will practice some self control...try to enjoy your meals. Enjoy peeling that orange, enjoy the smell of your food, eat it slowly and really savor it. Too often, and I am incredibly guilty of this, we eat in front of the TV or in a rush...if we have the time to enjoy a meal on a sunny day, do it! You will feel more fulfilled.

#9 No More Fast Food - Seriously...if you have to eat quickly, do yourself a favor and at least go to a subway to get a turkey sub with mustard and tons of vegetables, pile 'em on! Fast food is going to kill you slowly, very slowly and painfully. Those of you who live in a big city, I know you have access to healthier options like a health shake place (though some are dangerous and have lots of sugar) or a salad bar (Olive oil and balsamic is the best dressing to eat! Dont pile on crappy fake dressings) type place...ditch the Mickey Ds, ditch the BK.

#10 Try Shakeology - I know I plug this a lot, but I really wouldn't talk about if I didn't believe it to work and be so important for your fitness, nutrition, and overall health. There are things in this health shake that you cannot get anywhere else. Green Superfoods, Red Superfoods, Supergrains...all from exotic wonderful places with great health benefits! It has helped me transform and feel better, it can do the same for you!

#11 Take it Slow - Sometimes it is hard for us to try and make a complete 180 degree shift from unhealthy foods to healthy foods. Often, we try to do it and fail and then just beat ourselves up and go back to eating junk to relieve the stress of failure! Maybe just take a few steps each week and slowly get into healthy habits. Don't do all of these at once, you will just stress yourself out.

Eating in a fast paced world in a fast paced job or a fast paced graduate school with loads of work can be extremely difficult. You have to make a conscious effort to do so. Once you do, you will find it to be the best decision of your life. Treat your body well, put good things inside of it and you will be rewarded with sustained energy. Nutrition is the cornerstone for any transformation process or workout regiment, and heck it just feels great. Whole healthy foods taste great and help prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease etc. Hopefully these tips will help you in your busy lives.

As always, find me on twitter (@CoachZoso), Facebook (Get Trim With Tim), or via email! I'd love to hear your problems about nutrition and fitness. You don't have to do it alone.

CoachZoso

Does Shakeology Taste Good?

This is just a little augmentation to my review of Shakeology. The review I gave focused more-so on its benefits. It increases your immune system, maximizes your metabolism and utilization of good calories, cleanses your body, helps you lose weight, and fights off disease. But I need to give a word about how it tastes...

Most people look at the ingredients and think, that is going to taste disgusting. I have a direct quote from a friend of mine who got Shakeology recently: "This stuff tastes better than Coldstone Creamery!" For those who do not know, Coldstone is an ice cream chain...a really tasty ice cream chain. Talk about decadent! So he straight up said, Shakeology tastes like an ice cream milk shake. Shakeology tastes good. Shakeology tastes great. Shakeology tastes phenomenal.

If you are pressed for time, always on the move at school or at a busy job, Shakeology is the way to go! Just go buy a blender, get some frozen fruit, get some chocolate Shakeology and mix it all together with ice. You will be so happy. I have more energy, it helps me rest better, and it helps me in my workouts like P90x and Insanity. I literally look forward to it every morning and it is the tastiest meal of my day. Email me about it, or ask me for some good recipes! Keep on digging friends.

CoachZoso

Work Out For You!

Too often, folks get the idea in their head that they need to be the epitome of fitness for someone else. They think, "Oh if I just practice good nutrition habits and get into fitness, my girlfriend, my family, my friends will all like me better." This is kind of a subtle aggression towards yourself, you are thinking that you are not good enough for them and need to change. Don't approach fitness this way! That is how I started, and it only made me neurotic and unhappy.

Fitness, nutrition, lifestyle changes should be for you and for no one else. If you don't go into a transformation process with a love and acceptance of who you are, whats the point? You are just going to come out just as unhappy. You will be seeking out compliments all the time instead of being content with your hard fitness work and change in eating habits. You can have 2% body fat and have the most shredded body, but if you don't love yourself for the right reasons, you are not going to enjoy life.

The compliments are great bonuses, great icing on the cake, but in reality what feels best is a genuine acceptance of yourself and a sort of pride for the hard work you have devoted to getting into shape.

When we think about working out, or getting into fitness we often look at other people. Guys who are ripped, girls who are slender and we think "If I could only look like them, I'd be so happy." This is an ignorant stance. Be you. Trying to look like someone else, or be someone else is setting yourself up for failure cause you will never be them. Sure it is fine to be inspired by someone (heck I am inspired by Tony Horton, creator of P90x every day), but just be you, just do you.

We also think, when we see these super in-shape folks who are fitness gods or what-not doing 80 pushups and lifting 50 lb dumbells that "I could never do that." It is a process! Change it to "I presently struggle with," and then with time you will find that you can do it. You can do pullups, you can run a mile or two or three without stopping. This goes back to an earlier post where I mentioned how American's want quick results and hate themselves. There are no quick fixes! Don't get stuck in a comfort zone and give up before even trying! Use the coaches, the trainers for motivation but ultimately do the work for you.

Find me on twitter (@CoachZoso) and please like/fan my facebook pages on the top right :). Get in touch with me ASAP if you have questions or want some coaching, or just wanna talk.

CoachZoso

Step off the Scale! Weighing Yourself Hurts your Fitness Goals!

So I was talking to a resident who lives in my dorm. She had tried P90x for a month and then quit. She told me that the scale wasn't showing any drop in weight. She kept weighing herself and she was the same. Finally at the end of thirty days, she gave up because the scale just wasn't showing the number that she wanted it to. Here is an important tip: the scale is misleading and not the best way to gauge your fitness and overall health!

There are a lot of things that factor into what the scale will read throughout the day. I once sweat a lb. and a half of sweat off my body, then I drank a bunch of a water and the lb. and a half returned. My point is that the amount of water we drink, how much we sweat, how big of a meal we have...all of this effects your weight. We generally weigh more at night than in the morning. Our weight fluctuates so much throughout the day, and too many people think that little number on the scale is what matters. They think that they are that number, they identify with it and forget the hard work they are putting into their nutrition and fitness. Stepping on the scale constantly is an easy way to set up yourself for self aggression and judgment. Sure if you lost a few lbs in a couple weeks, great! But if you didn't, you are going to hate yourself. Just roll with the highs of eating and living better. Don't succumb to the highs and lows of the scale, not worth it friends.

You are not that number folks. When you undertake a workout program or nutrition change you need to think about the work you actually do. Be in the moment of your workout, be in the moment of eating that healthy meal. Don't think about the end result. When I first got into fitness I thought I would look like Shaun T (Insanity guy below) after 2 months of Insanity. Reality check! These transformations take time and they are only hindered by constantly stepping on the scale. We think about the end result too much! We feel defeated when that number doesn't go down. Focus on your workouts, on the energy you feel, the yummy endorphins swimming in your brain, the delicious healthy food you eat. That is you. Not some number. I don't even weigh myself anymore during a program. I wait the entire length of the program and check my weight because I want to be "in the workout". I want to live with the fitness and the nutrition. That is the best way to approach this stuff. It took me awhile to realize that, but it is truth!

Other measures of health: resting heart rate, cholesterol levels, how your clothes feel, body fat % (get some calipers), energy during workouts, amount of pushups/pullups/jumping jacks/miles etc you can run or do, clothing measurements

Please, step off the scale. You will feel better.

CoachZoso

No Quick Fixes, Sorry!

Sometimes I wish there was a button that would be placed in front of me that I could press and I would become the best at one thing; the best in the world at something. Usually I pick something cool like guitar player, writer, or basketball player. Unfortunately, there is no magic button, no quick fix to get me there. If I want to be the best guitar player, best writer, or best basketball player I can be then I have to work! The same goes for fitness, nutrition, and living well.

Whenever I see a commercial that talks about getting fit or losing weight by simply taking a pill or using a gimmicky product that doesn't take much work, I scoff. However, I don't really blame the companies for trying to pitch these products because American's are conditioned to want things immediately; they are just working with their audience. We want results in this country. We want to lose weight fast, we want to be the peak of fitness fast, we don't want to do the work. I am here to tell you, just like all the makers of the programs at Team Beachbody, and all the other Team Beachbody coaches, there are no quick fixes. If you want to transform your body and become the peak of fitness and nutrition you need to work. You need to sweat, you need to hit the wall that tells you to go back and you need to f*cking climb over it.

It was so hard for me. It was so scary for me. I am not some perfect spitting image of fitness. I am passionate about it lately, more than ever, but quite frankly I hadn't been this way for most of my life. I am not a better person now than I was, I am just in better physical shape and I feel confident, you can get that too with improved fitness and nutrition.

A lot of very overweight people get bogged down by the fact that they have a lot of work ahead or that they won't do the P90x or Insanity exercises right. To those people I tell them to first look at my transformation, second, look at all the transformations of folks who were extremely overweight on Teambeachbody.com, there are people who were over 300 lbs who did Insanity. They kept showing up, kept pushing play, struggled with the work at first, but they are now in amazing shape. They found the voice in their head that said, "we can do the work," while silencing the one that said, "it's too hard, it's too much work."

You can too, you are no different. No one is going to judge you for fumbling with a move in P90x or Insanity or Turbofire. Fitness and nutrition is hard work. Let go of your ego thats afraid of being put out of your comfort zone, let go of your comforts and you can conquer this with hard work and my help.

Life is much more fun with change, challenge, and the unexpected, embrace it! I am starting to learn this and I always feel more rewarded when I face a new challenge every day. Get ready to do the work, you are not alone!

Does Shakeology work? A Personal Shakeology Review.

I became a Team Beachbody coach for many reasons. I wanted to help people get in shape, I loved the workout programs, and in a word...Shakeology.

I cannot stress how wonderful this stuff is. This Shakeology review is an effort to show you how my personal experience with the drink really jump started my lifestyle change, gave me all my nutritional value in one meal, and ultimately helped me reach excellent physical condition, increased energy, and a general calmness and well-being. If you want to get in shape (and I really mean this) and/or simply get healthier, Shakeology is vital. This review answers the question, does Shakeology work? Resounding yes!

Because they say it best...here is an excerpt from the Shakeology site:

"This patent-pending daily nutritional shake helps your body gently eliminate toxins more efficiently while allowing for better absorption of the essential nutrients you need. A proprietary blend of digestive enzymes and prebiotics helps your body progressively eliminate the toxins that build up over time from eating today's highly processed foods.

At the same time, whole-food ingredients deliver the essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to curb cravings, allowing your body to shed stored fat while the more than 20 different antioxidants and phytonutrients help reduce free radical damage that can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke."

So what is inside of it? 70 ingredients from all over the world. Some pretty regular like blueberries and some very rare like Chia, a seed native to Mexico that has loads of protein, fiber, and essential oils in it. Here are just a few (some you may know): Chlorella, Barley Grass, Kamut Grass, Pomegranate, Camu-Camu, Maca Powder, Ginko Powder, Reishi Powder, Flax, Chia, Quinoa, Amarinth, Green Tea Extract. The list goes on...

What does it taste like? So you must think, "Ok that is all well and good, it helps me curb cravings, stay full, digest regularly, feel energized, improve my immune system, get me 23 essential vitamins and minerals, and lose weight...but how can all of those ingredients taste good?!" I don't know how they did it...but my god, Shakeology literally tastes like a chocolate milkshake. Just this morning I mixed a cup of OJ, a frozen Banana, and a scoop of Chocolate Shakeology...absolutely incredible! There are tons of recipes for it (including cookies) that come with your package of Shakeology and tons more on the Teambeachbody.com website! I look forward to drinking it every day because I know it is helping me get healthy and it tastes so good.

My Experience. When I first started drinking it, I immediately felt a lot of the awful junk leaving my body over the first week. Then I saw weight drop off me. Then I felt more energized. I also slept well while drinking Shakeology. (Not saying it is going to fix insomnia, but studies have shown that if your body doesn't get enough nutrition it can cause increased cortisol levels (stress) that keep you up at night). It propelled me through my first run of Insanity and it is currently helping me through P90x. It comes to my address once a month on schedule (free shipping too!) and I plan on drinking it for life. It is just beyond convenient. We don't have much time in today's busy world to eat really healthy. This is the game changer. If you want to get optimal nutrition but don't have time, have to go to work, to class, commute, whatever, this is the answer I would not be writing this if I didn't believe in it. Thousands of folks drink this stuff because they know the benefits. It also keeps you honest and makes you want to make changes in other areas of your diet! Don't waste the benefits by eating junk when you use Shakeology, eat healthy too to get optimal results!

Here are what doctors and health care professionals are saying about, do yourself a favor, watch the whole thing, they are incredibly knowledgeable!





So I really hope you read the whole Shakeology review and watched the video. I hope you are convinced. What is next? If you have questions you need to get in touch with me via a Facebook message (My links are on the top right), email me @ edgarallanpwned@gmail.com, or find me on twitter @CoachZoso. If you want to jump in and buy it right away, just go to http://shakeology.com/CoachZoso. (You can get free shipping if you do the monthly delivery program!). Hopefully this will jump start your lifestyle change (cause that is what it is) and eventually you will let me coach you on teambeachbody.com :) Good luck everyone with your endeavors!

Namaste,

Tim

What Scares You: Take Control

So I thought it would be a good idea to address a topic that most folks don't really want to address. When you think about getting into shape with a program like P90x, Insanity, Turbofire or eating better with a nutrition product like Shakeology, what scares you? If you could take the money aspect out of the question, what is stopping you? What runs through your head when you think about getting healthy? What is the biggest thing holding you back from trying to get in shape?

For me (and I think a lot of people), the biggest fear was "What if I fail?" What if I invest this time, energy, money, and sweat into a product or program or lifestyle change to get in shape and I completely mess up?! The only thing I can say to that is the fact that you make the effort every day to do your workout or eat that healthy meal is itself a victory; coming forward and committing to get in shape is a victory. The real let down is not trying. I talk a lot about the human condition and how we are set up to suffer and be afraid all the time. This is true, but the other aspect of the human condition is our true innate goodness. We are good, and we want to do things for the better. We want to be healthy but it is all covered up by this hard shell of comfort and delusion we have made. Break that shell and discover your inner goodness and inner ability to make positive changes.

I think for some folks it is just a lethargy that takes over. They are so consumed and comfortable in a typical, unhealthy way of life and the change itself scares them. People are so happy with their comfortable routines that any drastic change like doing an intense cardio workout to get in shape on a regular basis scares them to death, and they don't even realize that it is fear. Fear grips a lot of us and we don't even realize it.

We believe our BIG EGO when it says: "Wait, if I start a workout program that means what I have been doing all along is wrong. I can't face that."

Try not to think about the work ahead, don't think about how hard its going to be or all the changes you have to make. Find out what really scares you about making an effort to get in shape and build up the energy to ask me about what you can do to make healthy changes. I am no master of fitness or health (though personal training may be in my future :)), I just know how to motivate others (counseling major) and the ins and outs of the Team Beachbody programs I used to get very healthy. The community is out there to give you the support through this lifestyle change. A number of people have already approached me and I applaud them and we are working together already, I know there are hundreds more who want to muster the courage to do the same.

Find out what scares you and you can face this fear with a gentle smile and you can take control. You can get in shape.

Tim (@CoachZoso)

p.s. this notion of the things that scare you, it goes for all aspects of life :)

Victory! Not Defeat...

So a buddy of mine who was inspired by my blog and my transformation came to me and told me he wants to get in shape. What was startling was how he worded it, he said he had to "admit defeat" and just start doing the work. I was shocked! He comes to me with honesty and courage to ask for aide in getting into shape, and he called it defeat! Is that what we all think? Are we all scared to get off the couch, put down the soda, and stop drinking alcohol to feel great about our bodies and minds, to get in shape and eat healthy? It was a victory on his part! I told him straight off that for taking a step in this direction, committing to do the work is nothing but...as Charlie Sheen would put it...winning.

So please, don't think that by coming forth you are admitting that something is wrong with you and you need to change. There is so much wrong with all of us it is unbelievable, but that is what it is to be a human being, we are fallible! You simply want to take control of one aspect of your life, an important one. You just want to get in shape and learn to eat healthy. Keeping a healthy body looks great, but most importantly it feels good, boosts your immune system, improves athletic performance, increases energy, fights disease, and helps you live longer (barring getting hit by a bus, sorry no P90x workout for that!). So if you decide to learn how to get in shape and eat healthy you should be applauded! If you aren't ready yet, you aren't ready it, don't beat yourself up if you don't make a commitment yet; when the time is right I (and all of the Team Beachbody coaches) will be here.

Heck it was hard for me to start, I was scared to death of the workouts and changes to my diet! It was hard for me to even start this blog, post pictures of myself shirtless; I constantly thought what will everyone think of me for doing this? I realized that I am simply coming forward to help people by giving them encouragement and showing them the same products, supplements, and community I used to do the same thing.

BUDDHIST JARGON AHEAD:

People are afraid of change, plain and simple...even if it is ultimately a good one, there is something in our heads that does not want us to break the comfort of habits and routines. It is because deep down (sorry to get all Buddhist, but I gotta) we are all afraid of impermanence. Folks can't deal with the fact that everything changes; we construct an ego and a BIG SELF to help protect ourselves from the reality of the world, suffering and impermanence. Let go of your ego, who cares if you don't do the workouts right or struggle with the diet! You are you! You are working to improve yourself and I am here to help, and you are not defeated, you are a victor.

As always, find me on here, my websites on the right, facebook, twitter etc. I wouldn't talk about Team Beachbody products if I didn't believe in them guys; they did so much for me and I know so many young adults out there want to make changes too. Let me help you find motivation!

CoachZoso

Finding Time to Work Out and Eat Right

Young people, twenty somethings, graduate students, young professionals in job one, whoever we are, we tend to put proper eating and fitness on the back burner. More and more in today's world young adults are tasked with an insurmountable amount of things to do. I was talking to my best friend Brian the other day, and he more or less worked from 9am until midnight or so, and he doesn't even get compensated for it. We are asked to do so much with so little.

Stress is almost applauded in this country. I mean we hate it, but we do so much to produce it and so little to get rid of it. The toll this takes on our mental, emotional, and physical well being is unbelievable. No wonder we find a quick dinner at a pizza place, or get Chinese food, or eat fast food, and never work out. The quick burst of fats and calories tastes good and provide us with a comfort, a very short term comfort to the stress. Our stress goes down, but it will always come back because that is the human condition. Crazy western multi-tasking society or no, stress will always return.

So why not accept the reality that the difficulties of life will always be there and try to work on a more long term attempt to feel better about yourself that a burger just can't provide...getting in shape and eating well. I know, I know, we tend to look at eating well and working out as another task to add to the list of things, heck I do always: "I am too tired," "Veggies don't taste good" (uh, try Shakeology!) "I have no time."

Your body saying no to exercising and eating well is a quick gut reaction that diminishes the more you live well and your body realizes, " wait...this is actually awesome, keep it coming!" I have found that once I started setting aside an hour a day to workout, and I made an effort to eat different/healthier foods (slowly at first), I enjoyed eating healthy and I looked forward to working out. It has an incredible effect on your mind, body, and soul. I was actually finding the time to work out and discovering how to get fit.

The best things a busy young professional or graduate student can do to find time to work out is set up a calendar. (Side note: that is what rules about P90x and Insanity and all this jazz, they give you a calendar and everything so lazy people like me don't have to write one out.) If you can find just one hour a day, and commit to that hour, say no to going to the bar after work cause you gotta go do a Plyometrics workout...that is where it starts. So set up some time. Another bonus: Your home becomes your gym! When you do a program like P90x or Insanity, you never need to leave your house! This is how to get fit folks. A lot of people who do these programs (just like me) hate gyms! They are intimidating. Well I am here to tell you that you can get into shape without entering a gym ever again. These programs and supplements are how to get fit.

With regards to eating, a twenty something can find convenient ways to eat. Protein shakes with Shakeology...boom. I have one every day and it is just stupid healthy (and so tasty). Prepare some food for yourself, I didn't say cook (cooking every meal takes too much time! Time you don't have!), you don't have to know how to cook anything (maybe pasta and eggs).

I live in a dorm room right now as Graduate Assistant in residence life and I still eat healthy. Salads, hummus, cottage cheese, whole grain pasta, protein bars, kashi cereal, eggs. I cook maybe one meal a day, I know we can all cook at least one meal a day no matter how busy we are. Commit to surrounding yourself with good foods. Buy good stuff at the grocery store...that is where it starts. This is where you learn how to eat well. This is where you learn how to get fit.

As always, facebook, twitter, email, team beachbody (CoachZoso), find me, TALK TO ME, love to help :). I am a young adult also, we don't have too much time right now, lots going on. I have done it, I find time, you...can...too

-Tim (CoachZoso)

P.S. if you are very stressed, try meditation :) ask me about that too!

Dieting Too Hard: Starvation Mode

So in order to lose weight, we should just starve ourselves right? I mean that makes the most sense, if you put less in your body you are going to be smaller. While this may seem like it makes the most sense, when you are exercising regularly (or not) the last thing you should do is deprive your body of necessary calories, or else you run the risk of entering the dreaded starvation mode, when your body will hold onto all the fat in the body because it is not getting enough nourishment.

Now if you don't exercise that much or at all, you should not eat less than 1200 calories a day as female, and 1500 calories a day as a male. But for those of us who exercise moderately to a lot need to make sure we are getting a good amount of calories; when you keep stepping on the scale and not seeing any drop in weight it may be due to the fact that you are not eating enough! Sounds crazy right? It is true, here is why...

Your metabolism needs energy to work! This means that if you don't give your metabolism those necessary calories to actually do the work it is going to come to a halt. It will literally stop working and your body will enter a flight/fight mode (back to caveman times I suppose) and try to hold onto every bit of fat it can to ensure it has energy stores (lb of fat has 3500 calories, that's a lot of energy!).

So, if you are working out a lot, 4-7 times a week, you HAVE to make sure you replenish your body immediately after a workout (some P90x results and recovery formula tasty...) and all through the day with 4-6 smaller meals. If you are trying to lose weight, your body needs a lot of GOOD calories in order to do so.

So as an example, after doing the Harris Benedict Equation (look it up on wiki, it is a great tool!) I found that I need to eat around 3000-3200 calories a day if I want to maintain my weight with the amount of exercise I do...I want to LOSE weight though, so what I do is create a deficit (not a huge one). I eat around 2500-2700 calories a day. That way I get a slow burn in my body, and end up burning around 3500 calories (as you remember this is a lb. of fat) a week! Perfect!

In the worst cases, and this is VERY extreme...you can enter into super extreme starvation mode, called muscle cannibalization. Where your body can't find any energy to help it function and it will actually eat your muscles. Nom Nom Nom!!!! You will start to lose muscle if you don't eat enough! So don't be afraid to eat when you are doing a diet/exercise program, it is crucial. But eat well, don't eat crap! (a bit of sugar is good after a hard workout to help restore glycogen in the muscles and reduce lactic acid (soreness)). Keep at it folks! Follow me (@CoachZoso) on Twitter!

Keep Digging

Tim (Coach Zoso)

Nutrition, The Cornerstone

So after chatting with some folks in the chatrooms on Teambeachbody.com, I couldn't help but realize that most people don't understand the foundation of any successful fitness undertaking or transformation process is learning how to eat well. Don't get me wrong, I get the cravings, I eat ice cream every now and again because I am human. But around 90% of the time, I am eating the following: whole grains, fruits, veggies, good fats, good dairy, good protein. I stay away from sodas (diet and regular), caffeine, processed foods, candy, alcohol, chips, fast food etc. It takes time to make the switch over to whole foods, but it is well worth it. It gives you more energy for your workouts, you tend to sleep better, have less stress, and have more self-esteem and confidence. Being a young professional, being in grad school, just got out of college, whatever the case is, the twenty-somethings is a hard time in life. A lot of questions, a lot of things changing, and a lot of instability. Here are some basics about learning how to eat healthy. It can be a drastic shift, but you will find that eating healthy, eating how humans are meant to eat is a wonderful thing.

1. Quality: I just touched on this, but if you eat high quality foods over bad ones, you will feel better and lose weight. It is that simple. Eating enriched foods loaded with sugar will spike your energy level and then make it hit rock bottom and you don't want to work out cause you are tired. Foods with bad fats (saturated types...not olive oil or avocado) are high in calories and offer no nutritional value. It is hard to find high quality food in today's fast paced world. Focusing on a career or a relationship seems to take precedence. Maybe bring your healthy food to work? I bring bagged dinners/lunches to class and meetings all the time.

2. Quantity: Ditch eating 2 or 3 big meals a day. Try to switch to 4 - 6 small meals a day (it can prove challenging). Your body is designed to take in food throughout the day, your metabolism has an easier time of turning 4 - 6 small meals a day into energy. You will feel more energized and say goodbye to that heavy feeling in your stomach after a huge meal, ugh. Your body becomes like a machine if the fuel is good :). I have brought coolers to 3 hour classes. If I can learn to eat healthy, you can learn to eat healthy.

3. The Deficit: A good calorie deficit is crucial. What do I mean by a calorie deficit? Well if you use something like the Harris Benedict Equation (check it out on wikipedia, great tool) you can figure out your allotted calories for the day based on height and weight and exercise. For instance, taking those 3 factors into account I should eat 3000 calories a day to maintain weight...I want to lose weight, so I create a deficit by subtracting 500 from that number. So I eat 2500 a day and the weight falls of naturally, at a slow pace (fast weight loss can be dangerous). NEVER STARVE YOURSELF. Most people don't realize that you have to eat a high amount of GOOD food to lose the weight, your body needs food to lose weight, it seems counterintuitive, but it is true! Don't let the pressure to lose weight cloud this truth; don't just go starving yourself thinking you are gonna lose weight then your body enters the dreaded starvation mode!

Try to implement these practices into your diet and you will naturally feel more energy and have more success in your workouts, and if you don't workout, they are still great tips for eating healthy. Don't beat yourself up if you can't do it all at once, take a little step at a time, like cutting out caffeine, or limiting your sweet treat to twice a week then slowly diminishing it and replacing it with fruit. Set realistic goals for yourself, be disciplined, and you can easily get into great shape. We eat junk because we are stressed; the pressures of a new job, a new school, a hectic schedule are ever present in the lives of us twenty somethings, but trust me you can do it, I did and I am the king of lazy and scatter-brain-ed-ness...I had help though, the nutrition guides and tools/calendars offered in all of the programs on Teambeachbody.com and supplements like Shakeology, I seriously could not have done it without 'em. Critical and I am not just saying that.

As always, any questions or concerns about fitness, nutrition, life, meditation, Team Beachbody products, or anything just send me a message on facebook, twitter, team BB, or email (edgarallanpwned@gmail.com). I am studying to be a counselor after all, so helping is in my blood ha.

Tim (Coach Zoso)

I Transformed, So Can You!

My entire life I've been made fun of because of how I looked. I would try to take alternate routes when I walked home from school because I didn't want to run into a couple kids who always made fun of me. Peers at school would poke fun at me, ladies never found me attractive, I never felt good about myself physically. I think I got overweight because how I was raised, I stress ate a lot when things were bad at home, and things seemed to always be bad; I also used videogames to cope. I had a couple stretches of months in my teens where I would exercise and lose weight...but fast forward to post graduation and you'd find me in a computer chair a good 4 to 5 hours out of the day playing computer games, eating junk like when I was a kid. I was around 225 lbs. and close to the worst shape of my life. I had always been way too scared to do something about my physical fitness. I felt comfortable in front of that computer screen, not putting myself out there and trying to get into shape. I think we all feel these kinds of comforts when we eat certain foods, drink alcohol, or sit in our air conditioned rooms watching television.

One night, I saw an infomercial for a product called Insanity and a switch went off in my head. I was tired of sitting around, eating unhealthy and living unhealthy. I got the product and never looked back. Insanity was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, mentally and physically. I was huffing and puffing, sweating hard on the floor through the first week or two. Then the workouts got a little easier...I started to get better at them. When I hit month 2, I was getting excited for the workouts. I was also seeing results. When I finally finished, Insanity helped me drop 2 pants sizes and almost 35 lbs.

The results I got would not have been as great had I not eaten well, dug deep, and used the Team Beachbody community for support. I took to heart everything that I heard from those videos . I really did have to dig deep to get through every workout. But after the puddles of sweat and the endless plyometrics, I conquered it. With the help of Shakeology and a balanced diet (this was so crucial, eating contributes to roughly 60% of the success one has with any workout regime) I got through.

Not everyone can have a switch go off in their head that gets them off the couch. That is why I am here. I want to help you get through these workouts. I want to encourage you. The support is so critical to successfully completing a program and getting amazing results. Now don't think I went from 225 lbs. to a six pack. Ha! You have to be realistic with yourself. Give yourself some realistic goals, have patience, have dedication, don't miss your workouts and this stuff just gets fun. I know it is hard for the twenty somethings to find time, being a young graduate student or a young professional starting his or her career, we don't tend to think about fitness, it goes on the back burner. I am here to show you that you can find the time...make a choice, not an excuse. Lets start your transformation story together.

If I can do this, you can too. If you wanna chat with me let me know! Email me at tim.bell02@gmail.com! Check out my Coach Site, Facebook Page, and friend me! I want to be available for you, and help you get in shape.

Namaste,

CoachZoso