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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

My All New Chocolate O r g a s m Recipe!

I really “hit the spot” with this one!  Chocolate "O" isn't just a cleaver name..LoL  I created this concoction this morning while going through my spice cabinet.  Seriously this just might be my favorite Shakeology recipe to date.   Try it out for yourself:

1 heaping scoop of Chocolate Shakeology
1 banana
2 tbsp of Mills ground flax seed
3 or 4 dashes of nutmeg
3 or 4 dashes of pumpkin spice
3 or 4 dashes of cinnamon
Skim milk to desired texture and Shakeology thickness
Ice is optional for a thicker; creamier Shakeology

Blend together and enjoy stellar health and amazing taste; two qualities mutually in unison!  Wow talk about having your cake and eating it to!  Let me know what you think of this recipe I'd love to hear about your own experience.  For me the best thing is being able to drink a large glass of something so unbelievably delicious and it's entirely guilt free.  If you still need to get yourself some Shakeology you can order yours here:  http://HeavenInAGlass.info

Tom

Monday, December 28, 2009

Get into the spirit—and your skinny jeans—with these delicious Holiday Shakeology recipes

I drink one of these delicious shakes every day.  I replace one meal a day with my Shakeology; usually breakfast and I'm full for the next 3 to 4 hours.   Even just blended in milk it's so delicious but a lot of us Shakeology fanatics LOVE creating and sharing recipes.  There are a thousand recipes floating around out there but here are five that are GREAT for the holidays!  I hope you try some :)  Don't have shakeology?  http://HeavenInAGlass.info

Thin Mint Treat
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 1/2 cups cold water
3 or 4 drops of peppermint extract
1 cup ice (or to taste)
Blend till frothy and enjoy!
Nutrition Info:
152 calories
17 grams protein
17.5 grams carbohydrate
3 grams fiber
1 gram fat
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Fall Egg Nog or "Shake Nog"
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 cup low-fat eggnog
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
1 cup ice (or to taste)
optional: 1/2 tsp fresh whipped cream (if you're really festive!)
Blend till frothy and enjoy!
Nutrition Info (w/out Whipped Cream):
321 calories
23 grams protein
47 grams carbohydrate
3 grams fiber
5 gram fat
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Pumpkin Pie
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 cup rice, soy, almond, or low-fat milk (plain or vanilla)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin, unsweetened
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Ice (optional)
You can substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon and nutmeg or add more pumpkin for a thicker shake.
Nutritional Information (with low-fat milk):
Calories: 284
Protein: 27 g
Fiber: 7 g
Carbs: 40 g
Fat Total: 3.5 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
---
Cranberry Relish Surprise
1 scoop greenberry Shakeology
2 cups cold cranberry juice
7 segments mandarin orange
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup ice (or to taste)
optional: orange zest twist for garnish
Blend till frothy and enjoy!
Nutrition Info:
315 calories
17 grams protein
51 grams carbohydrate
4 grams fiber
1 gram fat
---
Chocolate Almond Butter:
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 Tbsp. almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups ice
Nutritional Information:
405 calories
14 gram fat
27 gram carbs
46 gram protein
7 gram fiber

Tom
Passion Fitness

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Infomercial Gimmicks - Learn to Pay the Price

The New Year is coming and so are the New Years resolutions to get healthy that most people will make and never follow through with. The exercise gadgets and gimmicks hit the airwaves more frequently this time of year to match the consumer demand to “try” to get healthy this year and fail like all the years past. If you think about it; it's a perfect match. Sell a bunch of useless exercise equipment and magic pills that don't work to people who are not serious about their goals to get healthy anyway. It's a perfect scheme that the industry of Schemers are more than happy to exploit in anyone willing to buy their products. Sure we all want to get healthy but there is a price to pay to getting healthy. If you aren't willing to pay the price to get healthy you're not serious about getting healthy.
  • The most innovative piece of exercise equipment ever!
  • No exercise, no diet changes, no change in life style whatsoever and loose weight anyway with this magic potion that you must have!
  • This one machine with this one exercise helps you loose weight and get abs!

These are the tag lines behind the false solutions the infomercial schemers have been selling us and we are still getting fatter but with less money in our pockets. Now maybe you just honestly don't know these are gimmicks because you never sought after the knowledge and made the discovery. You've got to continuously learn and grow toward your human potentials or you'll just be taken advantage of for your money; that's life. But if you know these are gimmicks and somehow feel “this time it will be different” believe me it won't be any different except your pockets will be even emptier with nothing to show for just like past efforts.

New gidgets and gadgets never work because our anatomy and physiology has not changed for thousands of years. Even if you believe in the theory of evolution it takes millions of years for that stuff to change or evolve. It's so ridiculously simple. Our bodies have not changed so why would a new piece of exercise equipment be any different? It's not. It just has a new look and a new presentation. Your body still operates the same as our body has for the past who knows how many thousands of years in our human history. A new “innovative” piece of exercise equipment is not going to change that.

Fortunately (fortunately for us consumers not fortunately for the gimmick manufacturers) the gimmick industry infomercials all have disclaimers by law. Granted it's in very small font and whizzes by the TV screen in the blink of an eye in hopes that you won't see it or pay attention to it but it's still there. It always says something along the lines of, “Results not typical – participants also followed a low calorie diet and participated in a regular exercise program”. This disclaimer, as far as I have noticed, is always displayed right underneath the super cut looking demo people with their six pack abs and diamond cut arms. Do you know what this means? It means you can do five million reps every day on your brand spanking new state of the art revolutionary machine and you are still not going to look like that guy or girl in the infomercial. Nobody will. If you want to look like those people in the infomercial then you have to have a similar experience as they did which includes a low calorie diet and regular exercise program in conjunction with that handy dandy new innovative state of the art machine. By the way, you can bet your last penny that those participants in the infomercials would look exactly the same with or without that never before seen revolutionary brand spanking new machine. Why? Because they participated in a low calorie diet and regular exercise program. If that's the case then what's the point of this new machine with a fancy new design and presentation? Ladies and gentlemen their sole purpose is to take your money by exploiting your lack of knowledge and desperation to get healthy. I wouldn't fuel that kind of demand if I were you. Believe me there will be plenty of others who will buy their gimmicks which will just fuel more infomercial gimmicks in the future to flood our television sets and radio stations with. I wouldn't be part of that vicious supply and demand cycle if I were you.


Now here is a disclaimer or a tag line that you can believe in! “Results may vary”. We all know we've got our own DNA which makes us unique. With that comes our own individual human potentials. My potentials are going to be different than yours. Not better or worse, just different; but just as valuable as yours. Life's ventures are all about growing toward your own human potentials. Why not get as healthy as you can? Health is one of lifes many ventures and consequently it's kind of hard to live up to any of our other potentials without good health. For the love of yourself and everyone you love grow toward the full potentials of your health for life!

Now about that Price to Pay I mentioned in the beginning of this article...

Every life changing decision involves a price to pay one way or the other. One decision has a relatively small price while the other can be totally devastating over time. One price to pay is the price of discipline which can be weighed in ounces. The only alternative price to pay is the price of regret which can be weighed in TONS without exaggeration. Most of us would say the price in ounces is the much better decisions but even still most of you will read this and opt out of discipline which over time is synonymous with regret. Some of you will instead take on the worth while price of discipline and live a fulfilled life rather than a life of regret. There is no middle road or even keel you're either headed toward your dreams and goals or you're becoming more distant from them. To think you're taking the “third option” of a middle road is simply naive to think so. The even keel middle of the road philosophy is devastating; it's a facade. It's devastating because if you really believe in that devastating philosophy you're more likely to not take up those daily disciplines that put you on the path toward success. If you're not on the path to success then you're on the path to regret and devastation. With only two paths why not go for the one of fulfillment? I'm not telling you what to do here but you should at least know so you can make your own informed decision. I'm not telling you what to do but I hope you take the path of enlightenment and fulfillment.

At this point you may be asking, “OK Tom so what is the answer to getting healthy?” The answer is the same answer that has always been the answer for healthy people for thousands of years. The answer is a variety of physical activity, curiosity, sound nutrition, common sense and continuous learning. But that's only half it if! If you just do this for one day, for one week, for one month, it will not work for you. You have to make a few simple changes to your lifestyle, pick up a few new disciplines that will bring you closer to your goals not take away from those goals, and then do them EVERY day. I'm telling ya it won't work if you just do it for a little while and then quit. If it's not “lifestyle” then it doesn't count even if you eat 100% clean that day or that week or month.

I believe Team Beachbody is the best, most affective and most convenient mechanism to getting on a path toward your full human potential. There are tens of thousands of extraordinary success stories to prove it including my own extraordinary success story. Unlike the infomercial gimmicks; we did not do anything more or less than our respective Team Beachbody program. In a Beachbody or Team Beachbody infomercial you will never see the disclaimer, “participants used program in conjunction with diet and regular exercise program”. Why not? Because that IS the regular exercise and nutrition program! All of the men and women you see in those infomercials with the amazing results didn't do anything else they just followed the program as advertised in the infomercial! “OK Tom so how do you know for sure the men and women in the Beachbody or Team Beachbody infomercials are for real?” Because I know at least half of them personally! Plus, yours truly is in the P90X Beachbody Infomercial! I just followed the program and that was good enough for Beachbody to include me in one of their infomercials. I didn't do anything else. No trickery, gadgets, gimmicks or magic potions. They are very up front that it is hard work with lots of sweat involved but the solution in knowing exactly what to do to get super healthy is easy. You just follow the program! In a way this method of advertising doubles as a filtering mechanism to discern those who are afraid to pay the price of discipline for the worth while rewarding benefits of great health from those who are not serious enough about getting healthy to pay the price of some simple disciplines. Sadly they are more likely to quit on themselves or opt for the infomercial gimmicks only to re-establish the same new years resolutions next year with the same failed results the years prior.

Team Beachbody hasn't been around thousands of years; more like 11 or 12 as I write this in Dec. of 2009. Beachbody simply harnesses the same power of the human body and its innate ability to keep the body free of disease and sickness that has been part of our natural anatomical and physiological being for thousands of years. Infomercial Gimmicks are selling you a product that really has nothing to do with our bodies innate desire to be healthy.

It's possible to get healthy without Team Beachbody. Very few select people have for thousands of years and even fewer in recent decades with the advent of modern luxury life styles and the increasing quantity of infomercial gimmicks. Team Beachbody isn't for everyone but if you need to make some changes and you're sick of fooling around with stuff that doesn't work then I'm telling you that you can make drastic changes to your health and you can start TODAY. Today is always the best day to start because the longer you wait the more distance you WILL have to cover to get from point A to point B. Some of you want to wait but your body will not wait.  While you're waiting your body is continuing the downward slope of deconditioning; making it more difficult for you to even just get out of the starting gate and ultimately succeed when you mentally decide it's time to get started.  Your body is entirely ignoring your desire to "put it off" for another day.

If you've already made the decision to make some changes and get healthy then make the decision to act TODAY. It's never too late to start. It's always too late to wait. Deciding to get healthy will not get you healthy. Deciding to take action toward your aspiration to get healthy WILL get you healthy. Close the gap between deciding and doing. Close that gap today and every day.

"OK Tom I'm ready to get started TODAY but how do I even get out of the starting gate and make my goals become real?  My problem is I don't know how!  I need some direction can ya help me out here?"  Read my subsequent article, “Goal setting and Success for the rest of your life”  If you have goals, I hope that you do, this article will help you envision them to make them real in your life!

Great health should NEVER be an annual new years resolution thing. Make great health a LIFE long thing and watch everything else in your life become easiser.

Tom
Passion Fitness

Friday, December 25, 2009

Goal setting and Success for the rest of your life

The activity YOU do toward reaching YOUR GOALS creates the kind of excitement you need to accomplish your goals. Having goals can chase the blues away because accomplishment breeds happiness. I know a lot of people who try to use logic to feel better and it doesn't work. Can you think of people who you know who do that? I'm sure you can think of dozens we all know many people who do that. Once and a while I'm guilty of that myself it's just something that needs more attention and self intervention. Logic does not change emotion. ACTION changes emotion and goals create action.

Approximately 95% of all people die without living what they believe to be a successful life. This statistic is in unison with the failure rate at which people set life changing goals and neglect to cultivate those goals into success. This 95% figure isn't a law. No one is bound to a statistic like this. What this statistic does is reflect a sad truth that only 5% of all people are willing to do the things necessary to cultivate their dreams and life changing goals into success.

Get out a pencil (not a pen) and a sheet of paper. I'm going to teach you an exercise for setting and achieving goals that I learned from a VERY successful entrepreneur; Jeff Olson. Don't feel constricted by this exercise you can always modify, add to it and make changes later so use a pencil.

This exercise is going to help you envision your success. Envisioning involves doing everything you can to make it real even before it becomes real. You do that by making it physical and involving your senses. When you write it down and make picture boards it becomes tangible. If you say it out loud it becomes more powerful in your mind. The moment you do something beyond the confines of your skull it starts to become real. If you can't envision life changing success you won't achieve it. It's the 95% of all people who are fooled by thinking, “My goals are in my head that's good enough”. Keeping a goal or a dream only in your mind by definition is wishful thinking, not envisioning. Wishful thinking is like saying, "I'll give it a try". Giving something a try just doesn’t cut it. As Jedi Master Yoda Said, "Do, or do not. There is no try".

There are four parts to this exercise. Write the following down and make sure to leave space between each section…

1.) My Dreams for my Health:



2.) Price to pay:



3.) Plan to start:



4.) One simple daily discipline:



My Dreams for my Health: Be specific, aim high but make them attainable. Be vivid and with a timeline. Without deadlines you leave everything open ended and diminish your chances of reaching your goals. Remember, the longer you wait the more of life you run out of.

Price to Pay: With every dream lived or life changing goal accomplished there is a price to pay, period. Most people aren't willing to pay the price of their dreams and goals (Approx. 95%) and instead live quiet lives of despair; regret. The price to pay to live your dreams and accomplish your important goals is worth it. It generally includes teeny tiny small sacrifices. On the other hand; the price to pay for regret is far greater than the price to pay for the daily discipline required to reach your big objectives. Disciplines weigh ounces and regrets weigh tons. I.e. A price to pay for a dream of great health could be giving up junk food, postponing purchases, practicing some delayed gratification, initial discomfiture in exercise etc.

Plan to start: The important point is to start. Remember that no matter what has gone on before, no matter how far down the curve of failure you've slid, no matter what's in your past you can begin fresh and new any time you choose. The past can't be changed but the future can be. Your future will always be determined by what you do right NOW. There is no tomorrow; tomorrow will always be a day away. Your life exists right now and right now determines success or failure in the future. It's never too late to start. It's always too late to wait. Very simple philosophies no need to make any of this complicated :) Notice I said plan to START and not plan to get you to the finish line. Initially you need a plan to get out of the starting gate. Your plan will change as you monitor what's going on and make corrections that keep you on the path toward success.

One Simple daily discipline: It really doesn't take much but if you do it every day with the compounding affect over time it makes all the difference. The one simple daily discipline could be to workout every day. If your nutrition is bad make a second daily discipline of cleaning up your diet. If you need more daily disciplines add them but be honest with yourself and write them down. The most drastic life changing differences are often the result of the littlest of things compounded daily over time. You don’t need to be a super human here. Anybody can do these things.

Once you have all of that in place create a daily to do list of just a few simple things and check them off every single day. At the top of my daily to do list is "Work out". Any task that you give yourself, if compounded over time, will make a drastic difference over time ESPECIALLY the seemingly insignificant mundane daily things so make them all work for you. Otherwise they will work against you because there is no middle road. Time will expose you or promote you.

Last but not least keep this sheet of paper out in the open where you will see it several times every day (i.e. computer desk, fridge etc).

If you follow this easy system PLEASE write me and let me know how it has worked out for you. I would absolutely love to hear about your successes :)

Tom
Passion Fitness

Monday, December 14, 2009

Who do you spend more time with?

Fellow entrepreneurs ask yourself this question… Who do you spend more time with regarding your respective business the willing or the unwilling? Which ever your answer is think about your answer with an open mind as you continue reading...

There are some people who just need to know that what they are doing is 100% going to work and that is enough for them to do the things necessary to accomplish their goals. They have faith. Not blind faith but instead a real substantial faith simply because there is no doubt. I like to call them opportunists. On the other hand there are people who 100% know the same information and it makes no difference; they quit and consequently fail anyway thereby robbing themselves of their dreams. For one to know what to do to accomplish ones goals and then not do those things every day is for one to live a life of regret instead of fulfillment.

I’m not talking about people who simply aren’t interested in your opportunity. Love the un interested just the same whether they are interested or not. I’m specifically addressing those whom you work with who absolutely know what to do to achieve their goals and quit anyway. That is sadly the tragedy of most peoples lives. The golden years for 19 out of every 20 people in this country are not so golden and it's entirely a result of their daily choices.

Why would someone have a solution at their disposal that they have no doubt would work for them and then neglect to take advantage of that every day? I wouldn't spend time thinking about that if I were you. The more time you spend on "why" the longer you keep yourself out of the field of opportunity.

I’ve witnessed too many entrepreneurs spending time and frustration trying to “convince” the un willing; trying to figure out “why”. Stop! If you want to spend your time more productively you need to keep yourself in the field of opportunity. The best way to do that is to not worry about “why”. Instead work with the willing; the opportunists. There are always going to be more than enough people to grow a thriving business opportunity with who just need to know that what they are doing is absolutely going to work out. Your mission is simply to find people who are looking for you. As you find each other build your dreams with those who are worth your time and effort.

The people who seem to be hell bent on regret instead of fulfillment will eventually open their mind and change the way they think when they are ready or they won't. If they do or don't it is not of your making. The opportunists you team up with will support you and grow with you. The unwilling will drag you down and out of the field of opportunity. Keep that in mind the next time you're tempted to try and “convince” an unwilling person. Make it habitual to keep yourself in the field of opportunity so that you can accomplish your objectives in a shorter amount of time with less frustrations and disappointments.

Tom
Entrepreneur / Independent Team Beachbody Coach

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

A Typical Day in the life of Feeling Good

I regularly get nutrition and exercise questions simply because I put my extraordinary results out there in the public eye. It naturally invokes inspiration, curiosity, and lots of questions which I am grateful for!

The big questions I can help you solve so easily are, “How should I intertwine my nutrition with exercise to maximize fat loss and get healthy? How much food is too much? Should I exercise first thing in the morning before breakfast or after breakfast? I read such and such literature about loosing weight is this true?”

All of these questions can be answered in very brief and ridiculously very simple terms.

First I want to speak to you if you have not reached the physical and mental shape you want to be in yet in regards to the, “I read such and such literature about loosing weight is this true?”. Instead of experimenting and tinkering around with different things you read from various sources commit to something that works and has already been time proven to work. Once you get in the shape you want to be in; you’ve reached that blissful life long maintenance phase then the focus becomes curiosity along with more variety in what you’re doing in your new life style. When I first started out I literally completely transformed my mind and body in 90 days using P90X by Team Beachbody. I just did the program to a T, faithfully, nothing more or less than P90X and it worked. Since then I’ve done all kinds of things I was curious about and continue to do so. Life is wonderful!

Now onto intertwining nutrition with exercise; how much to eat; should I exercise before or after breakfast etc in very simple terms…

Generally a person can do light exercise in the morning on an empty stomach and burn more calories from fat than exercising after breakfast because of the low blood sugars from eight hours of fasting during sleep. If you exercise before breakfast drink a glass of water first, don’t exercise for too long and don't make it too intense or you risk muscle atrophy which would be very bad for your metabolism and strength gains. I actually make it habit to do about 5 to 10 minutes of yoga right out of bed after a glass of water and I feel great after that. Then it's off to enjoy a glass of Shakeology. About two hours after shakeology is when I typically do my regular workout. That seems to work beautifully for me and I feel wonderful every day for it. At 2 or 3 hours after eating; blood sugar levels are ideal to signal the body to burn fat to fuel a workout. I personally like to eat about an hour or two before a weight lifting workout. I need at least two hours before doing high intensity cardio. Yoga I can do just a few minutes after eating.

Keep in mind you must eat enough food before doing an intense workout but don't over eat either. How much to eat is just something you've got to monitor yourself and make corrections according to the feedback you get from your body. This monitor/correction/monitor/correction back and forth rhythm is something that will always be on going but it gets easier as you get use to it and learn more about your body simply from daily practice.

A good rule of thumb for how much to eat is to eat till you are about 80% full. If you practice this one thing, eating till you’re about 80% full, every day for the rest of your life your organs will operate dramatically more optimally as you age. Your over all feeling of wellness and health will be promoted for it as you get older. On the other hand (there is no middle road here) if you eat till you are 100% full every day then you’re body will wear and tear more quickly; your over all feeling of health and wellness will expose your daily error in judgment. It’s better to be promoted for daily good decision making than to be exposed for an error in judgment made every day!

All of us will reap the benefits or disasters of our daily decisions as we age so make it a wonderful life!

Tom
Passion Fitness

Please note: The information given in this article are generally acceptable nutritional guidelines for the healthy adult population and should be interpreted as such. I have no way of knowing if you personally live with a metabolic disorder that may be aggravated by the information I have given in this article. The information given in this article is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or replace the advice of a health-care professional. Always consult with your physician and or dietitian before you begin any exercise program and or diet plan. Any and all information you wish to follow from this article you do so at your own discretion and assumption of all inherent risk involved.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

One Tip for Saving over $100 per month on groceries

I was talking to a lady who told me she is actually saving $180 every month on her grocery bills. That is a lot of money to suddenly be saving on food! Not only that but she feels better and healthier than ever.

The ONE tip is SHAKEOLOGY - http://HeavenInAGlass.info

Here is a hard fact for you... $180 - $120 for the cost of Shakeology = a $60 net savings every month. This lady is getting 20 times the nutrition and in fewer calories. She is loosing weight, feeling better, more "regular", and even saving money while doing so.

Why aren't YOU on shakeology? "I don't have the money for it" holds no water because you will more than likely save money if not break even. If there is another reason why you aren't on shakeology that is totally cool but a financial reason just doesn't hold any water unless you're somehow getting your food for free. I grow a 700 sq foot garden every year loaded with fresh fruits and veggies and I'm still saving lots of money by drinking my daily shakeology.

The only point I want to make here is that if you're into feeling good and enjoying life more but without having to spend extra money to do it, possibly even save money, then you NEED shakeology.

You can get it here: Heaven In A Glass

Want free shipping and handling for the rest of your life? Get it on Home Direct. Not only will you not have to pay for shipping and handling forever but you will also get two free workout DVDs and a free shaker cup. Want to save even more? Sign up for the coach discounts and knock another $30 off per month. Just minutes ago a fellow coach told me she to is saving $180 per month in groceries but because she is a coach she only spends $89.95 per month on shakeology for a $90 net savings instead of a $60 net savings. Incredible!!!

I hope this excites you about the tremendous opportunities to be experienced with shakeology. Don't hesitate to reach out to me if I can help you. There is a whole community of shakeology fanatics on My Facebook Page for example. You will be in the most excellent of company here and on facebook :) If you happen to be unaware of the unmatched health benefits from shakeology this VIDEO will clear that up.

Tom
P.S. If you are already using shakeology please share with me via email how YOU are saving money while getting healthy. I'd love to hear about it! I want to start collecting some testimonials specifically on the financial benefit. I'm already loaded with Health testimonials :)

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

If you have a JOB you're already in a Pyramid Scheme

If you work harder and smarter than your boss and your boss’s boss will you start earning more money than them? Of course you won’t. You may do fine work but the business model itself is a pyramid scheme holding you back from your potential. Do you want somebody holding you back from realizing your ideals? Isn’t that what success is? Success – a progressive realization of a worthy ideal. The business model that a job encompasses you in will never allow you to be successful IF you’re ambitions include being rewarded for what you’re worth, period.

I have no boss’s or pyramids keeping me back. I’m in multi level network marketing as an independent Team Beachbody Coach. I am free to make more money and out rank anyone above or below me. All of us Independent Beachbody coaches are at the very top of our organizations and the playing field is level for everyone. My progressive realizations of my worthy ideals are 100% in my hands vs. an employers hands. Who cares more about me; me or an employer? Who cares more about you; yourself or your employer? I think we know the answer to that.

Are you building your dreams or only your boss’s dreams?

The Team Beachbody opportunity is the polar opposite of a pyramid. Examine the business model you’re encompassed in as a job holder and then examine the Team Beachbody Opportunity. Ask yourself… Which one of us is encompassed in a pyramid model? Which one of us has a mechanism in place to eventually rid us once and for all of ever having to be encompassed in a pyramid model?

You have an opportunity to start from the very bottom and work your way to the very top, Part Time, IF you want it. I’m not telling you how to live your life but if you’re reading this and you feel you should be rewarded for what you’re worth vs. what your employer feels you’re worth then you need a mechanism in place that puts you on a path to the realizations of your own personal worthy ideals or it will never happen. Are you worth it? I hope you know without question that you are worth it. If you already have that mechanism in place and it’s working then run with it! If you don’t then I invite you to Join Me. I will help you one on one. It’s working for me (I am NOBODY special), it’s working for MANY of my friends, it can work for you to. Join me Today

We all have wants, dreams, desires, and our own worthy ideals. Only 1 out of 20 people progressively realize their dreams and experience them. You’re either going to “want” your whole life or your going to act and go beyond wanting to realize and experience all that you have wanted. Do nothing every day you’ll be among the 19 out of 20. Challenge yourself to do something seemingly insignificant every day that brings you closer and be the 1 out of 20!

“The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step” – Chinese proverb. Note: the Journey starts with a step, not with thinking about the first step! The 19 out of 20 people think it but the 1 out of 20 start with that first step; repeating that first step daily. Very simple stuff but only 1 out of 20 people do it! Be that 1, or not.

Tom
Passion Fitness

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The future costs of Obesity will Quadruple the cost of Health care over the next decade

There is no political solution here. It doesn’t matter who is in the white house or who is fighting for us in congress. It all rests on our shoulders and our willingness to live up to the burdens of a free people. We are more dangerous to our way of life than any terrorist from a foreign land ever could be. Health care is already unaffordable for most people. If we don’t reverse the trend of obesity then it won’t be a terrorist attack that collapses our economy and way of life, it will be our bad habits and daily bad decision making compounded over time; specifically over the next ten years. This one epidemic alone is enough to spill over into every area and in more devastating ways than the housing market collapse spilled over into other areas. Obesity is where the money is because not only is it vital to our health but it’s also “vital to the solvency of our health care system.”

There is hope in a great opportunity here to show the rest of the world that we have not become a nation of fat self destructive losers. We are the richest nation in the civilized world but yet we are the most disease riddled. How can that be? We are fat and getting fatter. Obesity is linked to more illness and disease than any other single symptom; so much so that obesity is becoming more recognized as a disease in itself rather than just a symptom. That’s indeed what makes Obesity in and of itself not only vital to our health but “vital to the solvency of our health care system” as well as our economy and way of life. When so many people have so many preventable problems that costs an entire nation of people record setting debts then it becomes all of our problem and the cries of “It’s none of your business how I live my unhealthy life” looses all credibility in the context of being "none of our business". It’s profoundly affecting all of us today and stands to get profoundly worse in a decade.

This whole crises/epidemic presents an enormous opportunity here for all of us to cease. The adage “Time will either promote you or expose you” has never been more relevant. If we continue on our current trends time will expose us in devastating ways we may not want to even consider. The “even keel” philosophy is already being exposed for what it is, a big facade, and time is doing all of the exposure. There is no even keel in life; sadly most people strive to keep everything at an even keel. Every one of us is always going to be on a curve in life no matter what, even if you don't recognize it. That curve is either going to work for us or against us by our actions and daily decision making in compounding affect over time. Time is always going to either promote us or expose us. Use time to promote you, not expose you. Do you want to win or do you want to loose? Do you want our country to be promoted or exposed?

For decades, starting about when office jobs of physical inactivity became the norm, we’ve been tinkering around and experimenting with ways to make up for the lack of physical activity that our modernized lives have evolved into and with backward results to show for. The more we experiment with diets and aerobic exercise that don’t work the fatter we get and more likely to quit we become. Lets stop experiment and do something that works, and works for a life time. Yo yo diets with yo yo weight loss must become a thing of the past. Miracle pills and potions without a comprehensive and realistic approach to getting healthy is an industry that all together needs to be put out of business by driving down demand to absolutely zero. Aerobic exercise with no strength training must stop unless you like aging achy joints and weight gain just from smelling the wrong foods. Enough!

I believe Team Beachbody is it. Team Beachbody is the ONLY fitness company in the country that has a time proven, comprehensive approach to a real life style change and getting healthy. Exercise is never enough, nutrition is never enough, supplements is never enough, peer support is never enough, reading how to books and watching how to videos is never enough. You need all of those things intertwined in a way that compliments all of those variables to work together to bring about real change. Team Beachbody is the only company, period, in the nation that thought through all of those details so that you don’t have to. Believe me you don’t need another experiment to try, to see if this experiment is going to be the one that makes a difference, believe me it will be just like all the rest. If you want to get healthy you need to be realistic and do something that has already proven to work. Probably most of all, for most of us myself included, you need a success buddy who has goals and a passion that is worthy of your goals and passion. That way you both push each other to succeed and you can’t fail. Eventually your healthy life style will become so ingrained in your brain it will become second nature. Habit is like a cable, we weave a thread of it each day until at last it cannot be broken.

If you’ve already got something that is working for you and you are committed to it for life then run with that and keep at it! If you’re still looking for something that works, quit experimenting and lets do this the right way so you don’t have to go through the frustrations of more stuff out there that just does not work for you. Take a look at my Team Beachbody store: http://PassionFitness.info Everything here has been proven to work for thousands and thousands of people with huge success stories of their own. Having trouble picking out a program? Do you have questions about anything? Call or write me. I want to personally help you decide, commit, and succeed.

Do you want to take a more pro active role in reversing the trend of Obesity? I will always need more people to help me spread the word of Feeling good and using these time proven products to get people their. If you would like to help me please by all means Sign Up With Me to be a Team Beachbody Coach. This will not only give you a HUGE layer of extra motivation to get yourself in great shape but you can make very good money doing so in combination with helping others get in great shape.

I sincerely hope my writing will motivate more of you to leave experimenting in the past where it should be, be more pro active in your lives, and experience a life time of feeling really good in a national economy that thrives instead of sinks.

Lets Kick Obesity Square in the Butt for good!

Tom
Passion Fitness

My article is based on the Data published here: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091117/New-data-shows-obesity-costs-will-quadruple-over-the-next-decade.aspx

Monday, November 16, 2009

Broccoli Salad - so good you won't believe it has a name like Broccoli Salad

Very simple and very delicious. You can eat this and nothing else and make a satisfying meal out of it or you can serve it as a side with something like Chicken, pasta, fish, or anything for that matter.

This is another dish that I never measure the ingredients out on. Believe me you don't need to you know how much of what you will like with this.

- Fresh Broccoli
- Sweet Red Onion
- Sunflower Seeds
- Low fat 100% natural shredded cheese of your choice

Very loosely chop up the Fresh Broccoli and Sweet red onion. Add all ingredients to a bowl, mix, and enjoy! You also have the option of mixing some red wine vinegar with some sugar to make a sauce that you can stir in with the broccoli salad.

I Love Love LOVE this dish it makes my mouth salivate :)

Tom
Passion Fitness

Sunday, November 1, 2009

One of the most inspirational things I have EVER read! Read this

My coach Melanie Bolen wrote an AMAZING newsletter today (Based on notes she took from attending a speech given by Darren Hardy of Success Magazine) covering various topics but I wanted to share the section on Personal Development. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do you NEED personal development or you won't grow, period.



"Your relationships will not work until you give 100% and expect 0% in return."

No matter how hard you try, you will never be everybody's cup of tea. Think of someone out there in the world who you really admire... to you, they are the world. Now, I bet you that someone else out there thinks that very same person is nothing... and that they could care less about them and what they stand for. That is EVERYONE! So, learn not to take things personally. If people are not interested in what you are passionate about it's OK... say, "Thank you for your time," and move on to find someone who shares your passion!

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it."

Darren Hardy, editor of SUCCESS magazine was really an eye opener. He spoke to us on personal development. Personal Development is SO important. How many times have you spent an entire day doing things for other people, running yourself ragged, getting emotional, and then having no time or energy to do anything for yourself? Well... STOP IT! It's time to set your SELF WORTH. Realize how important you are. In fact, you are the most important person in your life.

"If you want to have more, YOU have to become more."
"For things to change, YOU have to change."
"If you want things to improve, YOU must improve."
"If you want things in your life to grow, YOU must grow."
"Be the message that you want to attract."
"Don't treat the problem, treat the cause."

(oh, how relevant this one is in regards to our own mental health as well as our physical health... in fact, as coaches, this is what we are trying to help people do... treat the cause!)

The biggest part of you is your attitude. The most successful people in the world all have the attitude to succeed. They are usually not the smartest, they usually don't have the biggest bags of skills (though skill are necessary), but they have very attractive attitudes.

So, how do I change my attitude to work better for me?

Well, one of the first things that Darren Hardy suggested was the input. How many of you fill your brains with the horrible events on the news, or the dirty gossip of friends and family, or the negative things that people may say to you? Stop carrying that stuff around... Just turn it off! Instead, start filling your mind with POSITIVE images, POSITIVE words, POSITIVE thoughts... this is where those self development tools come into play.

A recommended book "THE SLIGHT EDGE" by Jeff Olson... it's a GREAT starting point. Commit yourself to at least 10 pages of a good book per day... and not a good novel (though those can be fun) but a life-changing book. A book that will help you change your thinking!

Next, work on giving yourself a positive environment!

Then, work on hanging out with positive people. If the people closest to you are those types of people who tear you down to make themselves feel better, than you DON'T need them. A true friend is someone who will life you up, provide you with positive support, and won't nitpick every little thing that you do. I think that this is a #1 step that many of us need to take... because in order to do things for ourselves we need to first love ourselves.

let's get SUCCESS BUDDIES going!

What IS a succeed buddy?
A succeed buddy is someone who you have weekly contact with and who you share your progress and goals with. From there, you will set up a time each week to chat with your success buddy about how you did on your goals and then help each other with ideas and motivation to keep moving forward.

As a Team Beachbody coach I have endless peer support and a success buddy I talk to about my goals, progress, and hurdles regularly. That kind of support and buddy system is usually the missing link for ANYONE to finally become successful.

Apply some personal development to your life consistently over a period of time and you will be astounded and what can happen for you! If you are interested in what I'm doing as a team beachbody coach then watch this short video, write down questions, and get in touch with me so that WE can do this together: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/metalpalace?bctid=41922032001

Tom
Passion Fitness

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Shakeology! This sounds YUM

If you don't have Shakeology yet order some and get it via Home Direct so you don't have to pay shipping costs for the rest of your life. You'll also get two free workouts, a free shaker cup, and free recipe cards with your Home Direct order: Shakeology - Passion Fitness

Put a little Halloween cheer into your Shakeology this season. In addition to all the amazing Shakeology ingredients, you'll also get the nutritional benefits of pumpkin, which contains lutein, fiber, and alpha and beta carotene. Plus, the healthy polyphenols in cinnamon help regulate blood sugar levels. You'll get all the taste of pumpkin pie...without turning your butt into a pumpkin.

1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 cup rice, soy, almond, or low-fat milk (plain or vanilla)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin, unsweetened
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Ice (optional)
Combine all ingredients in blender and combine until smooth. You can substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon and nutmeg or add more pumpkin for a thicker shake. Makes 1 serving.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Nutritional Information (with low-fat milk):

Calories: 284
Protein: 27 g
Fiber: 7 g
Carbs: 40 g
Fat Total: 3.5 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Tom Birkenmeyer: "when I'm 85" an excerpt from a Tony Horton note - read this! It will click with you

This is an excerpt taken from a note that Tony Horton wrote called, "When I'm 85". You can read the whole thing if you like right here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=162842842403&id=44994367247&ref=mfhttp://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=162842842403&id=44994367247&ref=mf

This one particular paragraph I think is just pure truth and brilliance...

"If you're reading this and you're younger than 50 and haven't made movement and healthy eating a priority yet, then do yourself a favor and get busy because the clock is ticking and the last third of you life will be bleak. Look around at the people in your life who've made it to 60, 70 and 80 who haven't taken care of themselves. What do you see? Issues. Lots of issues. Is that any way to live your life? Trying to solve these issues with pills, potions and processed foods? I think not. Consistency, Variety, Intensity and Curiosity are the keys to lifelong health and fitness. If you mix it up, you'll avoid the pitfalls of aches, injuries and the fear of failure as you get older.

The Future ~ Coming Soon. Bring it Now! " - Tony Horton

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Post P90X workout video... I'm out of Breath!

Two years of P90X by Beachbody, no gym or personal trainer, and it's still kickin my butt and getting the job done. Are you still waiting to get into GREAT shape for real? I didn't get into great shape in a short period of time by joining a gym or working with a personal trainer. Join me! Lets do this finally: http://PassionFitness.info



Tom

Thursday, October 22, 2009

An impressive read about affective invitation techniques

I was really impressed with this article by Dennis Bay because these are JUST SOME of the same methods that I and other team beachbody coaches use and we are indeed helping lots of people live healthier lives and being compensated for it quite handsomely!


To see what I'm doing go to my Passion Fitness website. It may be for you and it may not be for you. Let me know if it is for you!


Tom


Source - http://ezinearticles.com/?MLM-Training---Effective-Invitation-Techniques-For-MLM-or-Network-Marketing&id=911984


So I was really excited about my new MLM opportunity and I did not listen to my upline's advice.


I picked up my phone and called one of my best friends!


"Hey man, I have something really important to talk to you about, I can't explain it over the phone, so I am coming over to your place tonight!"


He said ok and I slammed down the phone! I thought to myself "Phew, that wasn't so hard!"


Today, thinking back to what I did back then! "Boy, how stupid I was!"


Because I did no qualifying at all, I just went to my best friend's home, blasted away like a machine gun while he listened to me blasting away.


And after i finally finished blasting away my presentation, flipping my flip chart, demonstrating how my skincare products, yada yada yada!


Man! I think back about it today, I can't believe I actually applied some exfoliant scrub on my best friend's hands! He must have been totally grossed out!


But I actually believed that he would either buy my products or join my business! That obviously did not happen. He just gave me the courtesy of listening to my presentation and at the end of it all, he said "It looks good. You try it first. I'll think about it." But he never bought anything from me, let alone join my business.


So people, you really really must not repeat my mistakes.


Invitation is simple, but you must have the right timing and know what to say! It takes a bit of practice at first, but everyone will be able to get it easily.


Now, let's go back to the step by step process which is to first!


1. Do your names list.


With the advent of the Internet, websites, email and video DVD technology! we no longer have to call our contacts, get them out for a face to face 2 hour presentation and pray that they join our business!


2. Qualify them and sort out the 5 stars from the zero stars, the MLM Leaders from the Time Wasters.


3. Find out their needs using the F.O.R.M technique.


4. Start inviting them according to their needs! I am going to focus on step 4 now.


Technology has automated our "Qualification" process.


Instead of inviting our contacts for a meetup to present the business opportunity, all we have to do is pick up the phone, call their number and say this!


FOR POTENTIAL BUSINESS BUILDERS and MLM Leader type prospects:


YOU: "Hi Dennis, do you have a minute?"


DENNIS: "Yeh sure, what's up?"


YOU: "I have some good news. I just started a new business and I am looking for some business partners. I thought you might be interested in looking at this." DENNIS: "Ok, what's it about?"


YOU: "Ok, tell you what, the business proposal is explained on my website. Are you able to check it later today?"


DENNIS: "Yes sure."


YOU: "You got a pen and paper? Write it down."


DENNIS: "Ok. Go ahead."


YOU: "It's (yourwebsite.com)"


DENNIS: "Ok. Got it."


YOU: "Great, check it out later today and I'll call you back tomorrow. Everything is explained clearly there. Now, time is of the essence, so promise me you will check it today alright?"


DENNIS: "Will do man. I'll check it right now. Talk to you after i see it."


Now, did that sound so hard? Can you pick up the phone, call someone and ask them to check out a website? Of course you can. It's SO EASY.


Now if it's someone you bump into on the street or at an event, just hand out your namecard and do this!


"Here's my namecard and that's my website address, I am looking for business partners, so if you are keen to explore a new business opportunity, check out my website today and give me a call."


Or if you happen to have a DVD video cd with you on hand and you know that this is a 3 to 5 star prospect on your list, just pass them the DVD and say!


"Now this DVD contains my business proposal on video. Watch it today and let me know what you think. Now, I only have 5 copies so I will need this back from you after you have watched it today. I'll be calling you to pick it up from you tomorrow."


Some companies also have a magazine that is designed to explain the business opportunity to the prospects that you lend them to. You can also use that as a invitational tool.


So I hope you get my point here!


Today, we no longer invite people for a BUSINESS PRESENTATION face to face, in a hotel or at the office anymore. It's too HIGH PRESSURE!


Instead, we invite people to:


1. Visit a websiteNow, that's called LOW PRESSURE, HIGH LEVERAGE!

2. Watch a DVD Movie

3. Read a Magazine


Anyone can do it, and you can easily do that to anyone you meet.


Be it someone you met face to face at an event, or someone you chatted up online.


While you are sleeping, your prospect might be researching your website, watching your DVD business presentation or reading about your opportunity, products, company background on your magazine.


In this day and age, if your company does not have all these powerful invitational tools to make your invitation and presentation process totally 100% SIMPLIFIED, AUTOMATED and DUPLICATED!


Either you can continue doing it the OLD SCHOOL way which is! "I have to meet up with you and explain everything!", then you go through a 1-2 hour flipchart presentation or laptop powerpoint presentation and after that, it's a 50/50 chance.


It's either a YES or a NO. But you have already invested 2 hours and that time could have been spent calling another qualified prospect, giving out a namecard, DVD or magazine.


"Direct Salespeople Sell, Network Marketers SORT!"


What the NEW SCHOOL MLM Leaders do is to sort through their ever-growing list of qualified prospects by leveraging simple, automated, duplicable tools that do all the presenting and convincing for them.


Today, I will never meet up with anyone who has not gone through my qualification process. Until that suspect has seen my website, watched my DVD or read my magazine and they convinced themselves that they are really really interested in joining my business! I will not agree to meet up. Because I can be inviting more people into my qualification funnel.


Think about it like a funnel, that channels all the people I invite to go through that funnel, where they get qualified step by step and when they come out at the other end, they will be calling me. And all I have to do is answer their questions and clear up their doubts.


Then finally I just need to pop the BIG question, "So are you an A-Big Business Builder, B-Small Business Builder or C-Product User?"


So if you're someone who is still stuck in the OLD SCHOOL days! and you feel that you will be happier if you can build your business using the NEW SCHOOL ways that I am talking about above, either you wait for your company to embrace technology and create these systems and tools or! you create those tools yourself!


Else you might want to consider looking for a company that does provide these systems.


As I mentioned earlier, inviting is so simple, that anyone can do it. And now, with the low pressure methods above!


I am sure anyone in MLM or Network Marketing will be able to invite a prospect to understand more about their business.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

A message from our founder, an Invitation to join our mission

I joined two years ago. It's been handsomely rewarding in so many ways. Watch this video! Our founder is taking a direct approach at talking to you, to reach out and invite you to join our cause and at the same time create an opportunity of a lifetime for yourself. Write or call me after you watch this short video.



Tom
Email: tom@beachbodycoach.com
Phone: 262 344-1733
Facebook: http://facebook.com/metalpalace

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Personal training, tutoring, and nutrition services offered

I am four times stronger and more flexible than I use to be and so are others that I have helped.


I can help you:
- Loose weight
- Firm up
- Add muscle
- Find new sustainable energy
- Look the way you've always wanted to look
- Feel better
- Gain new flexibility and mobility
- Turn up your metabolism
- Learn how to eat right to fuel your workouts. NO STARVATION DIETS (your workouts & results will suffer if you don't eat enough).
- Set positive and realistic goals
- Increase balance and coordination (as you age this will become increasingly important to keep your mind from slipping).
- Learn motivational techniques that could mean the difference between failure or success
- Plug you into support systems that will help hold you accountable

I have made huge leaps and bounds within my own fitness and have helped many others accomplish all of their own goals as well. I can help YOU to. Rates range anywhere from only $2.99 to $119. Write me.

Tom
Passion Fitness
facebook.com/metalpalace

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

"It's the set of the Sail" by Larry Zimberb from Beachbody

Larry Zimberg is one of the many people that I get to learn from. This is one of his latest writings and it's brilliant! It's far too brilliant not to share with anyone and everyone. I hope you enjoy the read and I hope it resonates...

"The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people."
Theodore Roosevelt

The number one skill to have in our business is not selling skills; it's people skills. The ability to get someone to trust you, like you, and want to do business with you is the key. Personal development is the one single component that will define your path to success more than any other.

"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're probably right."
Henry Ford

Sometimes we become so fixed on the how-to's that we fail to recognize that there is a far more telling and essential component needed in order to be successful. Any skill you may need can be acquired. It's the attitude that precedes it that will determine how far you go.

"Failure is an inside job. So is success. If you want to achieve you have to win the war in your thinking first."
Brian Tracy

So many people brush off Personal Development, and as a result when they have disappointments about recruiting or sales, they quit. If they had worked to make themselves stronger and developed the right philosophy and attitude, these temporary minor setbacks would not have fazed them in the least. It's much easier to keep moving forward when you have the right attitude.

"Ninety percent of those who fail are not actually defeated, they simply quit."
Paul J. Meyer

Just because you've failed doesn't mean you're a failure. The road to success is never a straight line. It's a series of twists and turns, ups and downs, successes and failures. Whether the inevitable obstacles you'll encounter become stumbling blocks or stepping stones depends entirely on your philosophy. The shortest route to your success is found in overcoming any and every obstacle in your path.

"Nothing is stronger than habit."
Ovid

Successful people form habits that feed their success, instead of habits that feed their failure. That is why it's every bit as important to consistently put good things in our head—just as we do our body—if we want to consistently experience good results. And like your physical transformation, it won't happen all of a sudden; it takes a little time. But with a plan, a desire to grow, and a simple formula which I'll outline below, the right habits and attitude can be developed and nourished, and that will lead you to the right results.

There is no single more powerful force than the potential of what is already inside you. The best way to strengthen, grow, and reach that potential is through personal development.

So here is an easy way, and a daily plan, for you to follow that will create lasting, real change and put you on track to realizing your true potential.

Read 10 pages a day of a good personal development book, and listen to 15 minutes of a good audio.

Reading 10 pages a day will give you a daily dose and a steady stream of power, truth, motivation, and courage that will allow you to take command of your life and summon the inner strength to take action—despite any fears—so you can create the life you desire.

Now let's look down the road. Ten pages a day is 300 pages a month and 3,600 pages a year. That's 15 to 20 powerful books you'll have read over the next 12 months! That simple daily discipline, compounded over time, will result in huge positive rewards for you that go way beyond this business and will be a tremendous asset to you in building not just a successful business, but also a successful life.

Listen to 15 minutes a day of a good audio. Turn time spent in the car into Drive Time University. Don't drive? Load a book on CD or motivational audio onto your iPod and build some mental muscle as you exercise. Either way, it's an easy thing to do that will produce some positive growth and won't interfere time-wise with what you've already got going on.

Personal development is about you becoming a better you, so you can experience the kind of life that you always knew you were meant to live. And using this formula, you can easily fit a program of incorporating personal development into your life.

Can you do it? Yes. Will you do it? That, of course, is up to you. But IF you do it, you will enrich your life in ways that reach far beyond this business and uncover yet one more way to pass on a message to others that will certainly enhance their lives as well.

They say the winds of life blow on us all; it's how you set your sail that makes the difference.

- Larry Zimberg from Beachbody


Tom
Passion Fitness

Portion Controlling Myths About Nutrition Debunked

I want to go over a couple myths about portion controlling meals that millions of people fall prey to and struggle with weight loss as a result of.


Myth - "I ate way too much/little for lunch today. I'll just make up for that by eating less/more for dinner"

Reality - The body is only capable of absorbing so much nutrients or calories in one sitting. You cannot make up by eating less or eating more food in the next meal; the body doesn't work like that. If you go over that threshold of what can be absorbed and metabolized in one sitting then those nutrients have a higher propensity to add to fat accumulation and you could feel lethargic. If you don't eat enough then you risk starving your bodies cells of nutrients before you eat again and possibly crashing if you workout between those meals. It's really a balancing act you must perform here to find that happy medium between eating too much and too little at meal time. You'll find that through trial and error and making small changes till you get there. Once you do find that middle ground you'll find it easier to not over eat at meal time because you won't be starved. You'll also crank up your metabolism and your workout performance will be enhanced for even further gains in your fitness!

Myth - "I need to protein load to build muscle so I'm going to take 50 grams of a protein supplement right after my workout"

The same is true for individual nutrients as it is for over all calories. The body can only absorb and metabolize so much protein till it has a propensity to spill over into fat accumulation. The average maximum grams of protein that a person can absorb in one sitting is only 30 grams or less. Whatever your maximum capacity to absorb protein is; once you cross that threshold you place an un necessary burden on your kidneys and you increase the odds of putting on more body fat. Besides, after a vigorous workout the body mainly wants water and fast absorbing carbohydrates. Protein is secondary to that. An ideal blend of water, carbs and protein after a vigorous workout is 8 - 12 oz of water with 4 grams of fast absorbing carbs for every 1 gram of fast absorbing (usually whey protein) protein.

To keep it simple just remember to do a few things regarding portion controlling your food.

- If you don't have any idea of how many calories to eat a day to loose weight you need to figure that out first. Recalculate once a week using this fitness calculator that I want you to bookmark. As your body changes so does your calorie requirements:

- Eat at least five or six times per day.
- Don't ever go more than three or four hours without eating anything.
- Avoid eating more than your body is capability of absorbing and metabolizing in one sitting. For most people that maximum calorie count can be anywhere from 400 to 800 calories in a single meal.

Follow up to this article with an incredible article I wrote on Simplifying your meal planning for vibrant health: http://tombirkenmeyer.blogspot.com/2009/10/simplify-your-meal-planning-for-vibrant.html

Once you get your nutrition right then you have just become your own nutrition expert to maintain vibrant health for the rest of your life! Isn't that alone worth the early on small pains of discipline?

Tom
Passion Fitness

Simplify Your Meal Planning For Vibrant Health and better results from your workouts Performance!

We tend to make our nutrition really complicated because of the vast amounts of data scientists have accumulated over time. If that sort of thing interests you, you could take a more scientific approach but if you are like most of us who just want to know how to eat right to live better then just learn a little bit about the three macro-nutrients, timing, and portion controlling your meals. That's all it takes to eat right!

The three macro-nutrients you should know about are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. These are the only nutrients that contain calories, so partitioning and portion controlling them plays an important role in planning your diet. Proteins are the building blocks of all the bodies cells. They are also a major component of enzymes, hormones, and antibodies. Protein is the multi tasking nutrient! Carbohydrates do many things such as help utilize fat for energy, enhance brain and nerve health, provide dietary fiber etc. but their main roll in planning your diet is that they increase insulin levels which in turn deliver needed nutrients to the bodies cells. Fat is the chief form of energy in the body, provides fat soluble vitamins, insulates and protects organs, and can enhance the health of your heart and blood vessels or create fatally unhealthy heart and blood vessels depending on the quality of fats that dominate your diet. The most important modification to ones diet one could make is the quality of the fat that dominates ones diet. To learn more about choosing foods with higher quality fat sources for optimum health visit my page on "Cholesterol, then fats and triglycerides"

Timing your nutrients plays an important role in how you plan your meals because different nutrients cause different physiological occurrences in the body. For example, ideally for breakfast you want carbohydrates and protein to get your blood sugars and metabolism in check after eight hours of fasting. This will set the tone for the rest of your day! The easiest and most effective way to do that is to drink a Shakeology which will set the stage from the beginning of your day to eat good and feel good all day long. For lunch, ideally, you want the bulk of your food to be proteins and carbohydrates to facilitate your blood sugar levels and to provide fuel for the bulk of your day that still remains. For dinner the bulk of your nutrients should come from proteins and fresh vegetables. Carbohydrates are no longer needed in bulk because you're day is coming to an end. Any extra carbohydrates that are not burned by your activity will be more easily stored as fat.

Time your nutrients for your workouts as well as for the time of day! This is important regarding when to consume specific kinds of carbohydrates. There are fast absorbing carbs (high glycemic) and slow absorbing carbs (low glycemic). Save your fast absorbing carbs for breakfast and immediately following a vigorous workout. Eating a fast absorbing carb for dinner will spike your already stable blood sugar levels too much too fast. You're body will probably not be able to metabolize that much in such a short amount of time resulting in an overflow of nutrients to be more likely stored as fat.

Eat at least five or six times per day. Every three hours is ideal. If you wait four hours between meals you are weakening your metabolism because by that time your body automatically switches into starvation mode by breaking down muscle cells to extract protein for energy instead of glucose and fat (the bodies intended sources of energy).

An ideal daily eating schedule in bulk nutrient values:
Breakfast
- carbs and proteins (perfect time of day for a Shakeology)
Mid morning snack
- proteins
Lunch
- carbs and proteins (feel free to mix in some vegetables here)
Mid afternoon snack
- proteins
Dinner
- proteins and vegetables
Optional night time snack
- proteins and or vegetables

The most important variable in having control over your body weight is calories in are equal calories out. If you burn more calories than you eat you will loose weight and vice versa. If you portion control your meals you can have more control over your ability to loose or gain weight. A generally accepted safe caloric deficit to loose weight is 10%. If you're daily caloric needs to maintain your current weight is equal to 2,000 calories then an 1,800 calorie per day diet is ideal to loose weight at a safe rate. If you don't already have an idea as to how many calories you should be consuming daily then figure that out first on this Fitness Calculator. Recalculate once per week. As your body changes your calorie requirements will change.

Take the time and put forth the sometimes tedious effort to learn how to apply good nutritional habits that work for you and the desired results you’re going for. In time it will become second nature! Once you have conquered that task it's an invaluable education you will take it with you for the rest of your life and even teach others how to do the same for themselves. Priceless!!!

Tom
Passion Fitness

Thursday, October 8, 2009

My routine to Live FREE of illness and disease

This whole routine I programmed is designed to help keep a person healthy and living illness FREE.



I haven’t been sick in 2 ½ years and counting. I use to get sick, violently sick several times a year with the changing seasons. Everyone I know right now in Oct. of 2009 is either sick with the flu or a nasty cold except me. I drink my daily Shakeology, I eat reasonable most of the time and I exercise regularly. But I also do something so amazing first thing every morning that I can actually physically and mentally feel keeping me from getting sick every time I do it. I don’t even have a name for my little impromptu routine but maybe someday I will. I video recorded myself doing my routine, that seems to work so well for me, to share with as many people as possible in hopes of giving you something new to think about and maybe even try regularly at your own discretion. If I help a few more people repel all cause illness during a change of seasons then that would make me a very happy fitness enthusiast :)

Some tips:
Do this even before flossing!

When doing squats retract your shoulder blades, open up your chest, sit back in heels but don’t fall back, keep your back straight, engage all core muscle groups to stabilize your body, don’t flex your knees more than 90 degrees, and keep your mouth as far away from your butt as possible. No joke! Visualize keeping your mouth far away from your butt and that will help you maintain all of those other variables I mentioned that makes for a good squat.

On all of these movements, postures and sequences I’m lifting my chest, opening my chest, and rolling my shoulders back. This is what allows the cardio vascular system and circulator system to jump start and work to help prevent you from getting sick. Focus on opening up your chest more and eventually it will become second nature to you. Don’t just arbitrarily do these movements, postures and sequences. Focus on those muscles being stretched so you get a better stretch and a better facilitation of nutrients to those joints and muscles. Otherwise you’re defeating the purpose of this routine; leaving yourself more vulnerable to all cause illness.

Most importantly; Breath! Breathe long deep slow breaths through all movements. You need to do this several times a day to saturate the blood with oxygen. Oxygen = energy and nourishment for the bodies cells. You also keep moisture from building up in your lungs by exercise the full capacity of your lungs. Moisture build up in the lungs leads to bacteria which leads to sickness. I’m not sure how well the microphone picked up the sound of my breath but if you listen closely you can hear me taking nice therapeutic like full breaths.

My first thing out of bed early morning impromptu Routine that I don’t have a name for yet:
- Drink a glass of water and rub the sleep out of your eyes, yawn etc.

- Huggers with neck rolls followed by another yawn and some funky stretch I did with my arms and chest. I’ll call it the chicken stretch ;) It felt right at the time. This is impromptu after all ;)

- Reach up and clasp your hands above your head. For all of these reaching movements make sure you “scoop” your abs so that your low back is not hyper extending. Reach up towards the sky and stretch your whole body out in a comfortable way early in the morning.

- Reach up again without clasping your hands together; bring arms back down in a good morning descending stretch. Pretend there is a wall behind you that you are standing against and you are scraping the wall with your elbows and wrists.

- Two bi lateral straight arm raises and back down again. At the top do a toe raise to begin waking the legs up.

- Widen your stance a little more than shoulder width apart and lower yourself into a sumo stance prayer squat. Remember to keep the shoulders back, stick out your chest and open it up even in prayer.

- Two more bi lateral straight arm raises starting in a sumo stance prayer squat.

- Lower yourself back into sumo stance prayer squat and abduct both arms 90 degrees and hold for a few breaths.

- Bring straight arms straight out in front; still in a sumo squat with a straight back; hinge forward. Come as close as you comfortably can to bringing your arms and trunk parallel to the floor. Try to create a straight line from your finger tips to your waist. Hold for a few breaths.

- Bring arms around back and over head; clasp hands together; still bent over. You can round your back here if you would like.

- Straighten your back out and extend your trunk upright allowing arms to come down behind you. While upright keep your hands clasped, pull your shoulders back, and keep your chest open; stretch your chest muscles.

- Bring feet together, bring hands to prayer, and follow sequence of arm movements in the video.

- Transition into chair pose as I demonstrate in the video.

- Come up out of chair pose and hyper extend back (optional, but really all of these movements are optional)

- Follow video for arm movement and prayer sequences.

- Bend forward at the hips like a hinge for trunk flexion; keeping back straight and shoulder blades squeezed together; arms abducted 90 degrees for a breath.

- Allow arms to come down toward the ground and round the back for forward fold for a breath.

- Straighten back out and squeeze shoulder blades together again for a breath and alternate between flat back and forward fold with your back rounded for a breath each.

- On the final forward fold hold it for a few breaths. With each exhalation see if you can reach a little lower while maintaining straight legs. Flex your quads to help keep straight legs.

- Come back up, roll up one vertebrae at a time; when you get to rolling your head up couple that with rolling your shoulders back and sticking your chest out.

- Clasp hands behind your butt, straighten arms, and open your chest for a nice stretch.

- Topas stretch. Palms should be facing up and arms should be straight.

- Take a full, slow, deep breath with prayer hands. Take one last full, slow, deep breath in mountain pose or the anatomical position. Open your chest up and don’t shrug your shoulders.

- Do anything else you need to do to take care of yourself and prime yourself for your day.


That’s it! I bet you feel better after doing that right? You’re probably even ready to eat breakfast by now. If you have it in you to do a light workout because you have extra calories to burn go for it! Just don’t do any one single movement, pose, or exercise that you can’t continuously perform for longer than three minutes or it’s too intense. With that kind of intensity without any food in you yet you risk catabolizing your own muscle tissue and weakening your metabolism.

Just some of the key benefits to my first thing out of bed early morning routine:
Allows for a gradual, calming transition from morning “grogginess” to waking up and feeling energized.

Jump starts the cardio vascular system and circulatory system; strengthening immune response; helps preventing all cause illness.

Improves mental focus and enhances your ability to alleviate/manage stress for a more productive day.

Energy distribution throughout the bodies cells; consequently you feel better with more sustainable energy throughout the day beginning at the very beginning of the day.

Lubricates and nourishes all major joints of the body; giving a person a better feeling of mobility.

More easily able to eat and digest breakfast.


For more info on Living Healthy visit my Website: Passion Fitness
Tom


Please note: the information given on my website is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or replace the advice of a healthcare professional. Always consult with your physician before you begin any exercise program. If you experience any pain or difficulty with exercise or diet, stop and consult your healthcare provider.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Opportunity comes knocking! This is so cool it's beyond words



This is derived from an earlier video I made about motivating large groups of people and the concept of leveraging. If you haven't watched that video first, do it or you will be lost in this one! Watch the first video here: http://tombirkenmeyer.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-motivate-large-numbers-of-people.html

Find more info about Opportunity and living healthier: Passion Fitness
Tom

There is no such thing as Empty Calories

A calorie is a specific measurement of heat.

According to Sports, Science and Medicine a calorie is a "Unit of work and energy. One calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of water by 1°C at normal pressure."

In the body a calorie count is a measurement of energy derived from a food source. In this context a calorie is a calorie and has the same value of energy whatever the quality of the food source it is derived from.

Those low calorie fad diets are dangerous. For example, eating only enough food to derive 800 calories worth of energy for the bodies cells is not nearly enough to sustain the energy demands of your body for an entire day even if you live a completely inactive life style (unless you're a very small person). You need more than 600 or 800 calories in the course of a day or you will waste away til death if you're consistent enough with it. To figure out roughly how many calories you should be consuming use this fitness calculator and re calculate once per week.

Now that we know calories are simple because the value of a calorie is always the same from one to the next. Regarding calories All you need to pay attention to is the quantity of calories, not the quality because calorie quality is irrelevant!

Nutrients are the complex factor here, not calories. Nutrients vary in quality from one food source to the next. Some foods are more nutrient dense than others and contain different kinds of nutrients along with different partitions of those nutrients from one to the next. It is a lot to monitor! Generally the body wants the foods that are more nutrient dense and all natural ingredients. Nutrient dense food is far more useful and metabolized by the bodies cells than food with empty nutrients.

If you're interested in eating right for your body so the body can heal itself and prevent illness then avoid the nutrient empty foods such as ice berg lettuce, white colored mushrooms, and foods with artificial sweeteners and trans fats. Instead eat nutrient dense whole foods such as the green leafy lettuce, the various brown colored mushrooms, and foods with all natural ingredients.

The phrase, "empty calories" should be replaced with empty nutrients in everyone's vocabulary. It would clear up a lot of misguided confusion about the "empty calorie" debate.

For more info on living healthier visit my website: Passion Fitness

Saturday, September 26, 2009

How to motivate large numbers of people - share with 5 and get 780



My first lecture by video! I hope you enjoy it :) Do at least one thing everyday to expand yourself. Over time and in the short run you will become a more well rounded and productive person.

Tom
Passion For Fitness

Thursday, September 24, 2009

12 Ways to Eat Healthier on the Cheap: A Manifesto By Denis Faye

I get these greatly valuable newsletters from Beachbody from time to time. Want to be on the newsletter list? Join me in Team Beachbody (free sign up is available if anything else for these awesome newsletters) and opt in for their newsletter: http://teambeachbody.com/metalpalace

12 Ways to Eat Healthier on the Cheap: A Manifesto By Denis Faye

Thanks to a complex web of farm subsidies, chemical engineering, and plain old evil, 21st-century food companies have actually made it cheaper for consumers to eat processed junk instead of healthy, nutritious staples such as fruit, veggies, and lean meats. It would take a book or two to explain how they pulled it off. Instead, I've opted to write this short manifesto: a list of ways you can beat "The Man" by eating healthier and saving money at the same time. Who's with me? ìViva la revolución!

Money and Bread on Plate

1. Buy in bulk. There's usually economy in volume. There's a problem, though. If you're only feeding two people, what do you do with the other 22 chicken breasts you just bought at Costco®? Simple. You divide them into 11 freezer bags and freeze 'em to be thawed out as needed. The same works for many fruits and veggies, except maybe leafy greens. Frozen lettuce? Not so much.

2. Shop online. While known mostly for books and "adult" entertainment, Web retailers such as Amazon offer some amazing deals when you buy in bulk. Granted, you're not going to find much fresh produce, but for staples such as tea, coffee, and cereal, you'll get serious bargains, often on the brands you prefer, which is much better than being at the whim of Sam's Club® buyers.

3. Fresh BluberriesBuy in season. Pick up a pack of strawberries in summer, and there's a good chance it only travelled a few miles to get to your grocer. Buy the fruit in winter, and it had to be shipped from a warm climate on the other side of the planet. It's simple economics. It costs more because it took more effort to get it shipped. Local produce tastes fresher, too, therefore . . .

4. Shop locally. If you go to the farmers' market, you practically have no choice but to buy produce that's in season! Many of you might believe the stigma that these places are all about fancy mushrooms and $9 "heirloom" tomatoes. Yeah, you can get that stuff—and it's delicious—but in between the specialty booths, you'll find hard-working, everyday farmers selling standard produce at below-grocery-store prices.

5. Make your own veggie broth. Don't worry. I'm not going Amish on ya. It's just an easy, fun way to save a couple bucks. Get yourself a 2-gallon Ziploc® bag or something similar, and keep it in the freezer. Every time you have veggie offcuts like carrot peels, green bean ends, or broccoli stalks, throw them in there. You can also add wilted veggies, but nothing rotten or moldy.

Once you've filled the bag, fill a big pot about one-third full with water. Bring it to a boil and cram in as much as you can from your Ziploc. Once it's boiling again, set it to simmer for about an hour. After that, drain the stock into a large bowl. Then, using a strainer, squish the remaining stock out of the veggies and into the bowl.

In 2-cup increments, put the stock in smaller Ziploc bags and freeze them. All up, it takes a couple hours, but it also saves a couple bucks and cuts down on food waste.

6. Coupons and ScissorsCheck out coupon Web sites. The coupons in the Sunday paper are always good, but nowadays, you can really tailor your coupon pile to suit your exact needs by looking through Web sites like Coupon.com or SmartSource.com.

7. Eat less. You might not like to hear this, but do you really need the other half of that burrito tonight? It would make a fine lunch tomorrow. You'll be saving money and your waistline.

8. Do you really need it? Every time you throw something in the grocery cart, ask yourself if you really need it. Sure, we all need our little indulgences, but you don't need a cart full of them. For example, is your guacamole really going to suffer without that guacamole seasoning? (Here's a little hint: a couple shakes of salt is going to have the same exact effect.)

9. Make your own. Jars of pasta sauce and canned chili are majorly convenient, but if you have an afternoon sometime, make a giant pot of the stuff and freeze it for future use in several smaller containers. It'll probably taste better, and odds are, you won't add high maltose corn syrup to your sauce the way Ragu does.

10. Grow your own. A full-blown garden would be quite a challenge for most of us, but a small, potted herb garden can go just about anywhere there's sunlight—and it'll impress your friends/dates/kids. Robust, perennial herbs that you can just clip from when needed include mint, rosemary, and some varieties of oregano.

11. Grocery ListMake a grocery list—and stick to it. Marketers spend millions of dollars researching packaging and shelf placement, to influence you into randomly putting the pretty boxes in your cart. It's time to fight the power. Make a grocery list and treat it like gospel. If you see something shiny and pretty, a tempting bag of potato chips or a spice you've been dying to try out, look at your list. If it's not there, it doesn't leave the shelf. When you get home, if you're still jonesin' for that spice, work it into your menu and buy it next week. (Note that I didn't say the same thing about the potato chips.)

12. Don't shop hungry. Suggestion #11 will be almost impossible to pull off if you're shopping with the munchies. Have a meal before you go so that you're not tempted to pig out while walking down the aisles of your local Piggly Wiggly.

Obviously, all 12 tips here aren't for everyone—except me, of course, because I recommended them—but if you just take two or three to heart, you'll definitely see a shift in your grocery budget. So grab that shopping list and let the revolution begin!