Do you remember a time when you were motivated to lose weight?  All of a sudden, you hit a point where staying as you were was much more painful than the changes you needed to make to change.  Maybe you saw a picture you were in and didn’t even recognize yourself. Maybe someone made a rude comment to you about your weight, or maybe you couldn’t play with your kids without getting out of breath.

Whatever it was that got you thinking “I MUST lose this weight”, embrace it!  It’s in our moments of frustration that real growth appears!

But let’s face it, weight loss isn’t easy.  If it was, everyone would be at their perfect weight. You need a continual stream of motivation to continue.  I always tell the people I coach that they need to develop their “WHY” and envision themselves achieving that lifestyle.  You need to just close your eyes and think about what it will be like to be at your perfect weight.  What will you look like?  How will you feel?  What will you be able to do?  And you need to do that daily!  Doing it several times a day is even BETTER!

It doesn’t need to take a long time, but you need to make it feel REAL!  Believe it or not, your mind cannot distinguish between what is real and what is vividly imagined!

This is the first step in successful and lasting weight loss!

What’s the second step?  Belief!  Even if you’ve tried a thousand times in the past, you have to believe that this time will be different.  How do you do that?  Well, one way of doing it is to find others who have done what you have done and realizing that if they did it, then so can you!

One of the reasons I was drawn to Beachbody is because the community is full of people who have done just that!  Right now, they are starting the process of voting for one woman and one man who will each win the quarterly transformation contest (and $10,000)!

These people have all worked hard and have changed their lives!  Now if that isn’t motivation, I don’t know what is!

Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting a few transformation stories and videos every day.  I hope you can find someone you can relate to and who will motivate you to make the changes you need to make to be a healthier YOU! 

If you just can’t wait to view all of the success stories who are in the running for this $10,000, then you can get a free Beachbody account by clicking here!

Judy

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People continually ask me why I’m a Beachbody coach.  Well, there are MANY reasons, but one of the most important ones is that I’m continually inspired by the people I coach.  Darlene Provance is one of those people.

Darlene grew up in a family of 10 siblings, and she struggled with low self esteem for years.  That’s hard for me to imagine now because when I talk to her on the phone, all I hear is a strong, confident woman who sounds SO joyful!

Darlene found Beachbody, and an exercise program that she loved…Turbo Jam…and lost over 21 pounds!  Can you believe that she is 50 years old?  She looks incredible!  Watch her story in the video below to see how she used Turbo Jam to finally lose the weight that had been holding her back for so long! This is a Turbo Jam review you don’t want to miss!

Following her win in the monthly Beachbody 2009 transformation contest, she quit smoking, and she was terrified that the weight would come back.  It did (a little), but it was only for a short time.  You see, NOW she had the tools and the lifestyle to get to and stay at a healthy weight!

I’m SO proud of her for kicking the smoking habit!    She’s made a very important switch in mindset.  She’s gone from wanting to lose weight to wanting to be healthy!  That’s the key to maintenance of a weight loss because once the weight is gone, you have to have a more powerful “WHY” to keep up with your new healthy habits!

After finding that she could have success with Beachbody products, she moved on to other programs like P90X, Rockin’ Body, Slim in 6, and ChaLEAN Extreme.  Darlene has been an inspiration to many people, and I kept telling her that she should become a coach because she was already coaching others by telling them what SHE did to lose the weight, and more importantly, keep it off!

Darlene and I talked a few times about her becoming a coach.  I knew she would be great at it because she was continually encouraging others.  Well, she finally decided to join my team of coaches, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her!

People all over America are finding that they can get their lives back by committing to the program that’s right for them!  Once they become a “product of the product” and people start asking them “WHAT are you doing?”, then moving into coaching is a natural next step!  It not only provides an additional source of income, but it helps us stay accountable to our new healthy lifestyle.

If this sounds like a path you’d like to follow, but you are not sure where to start, ASK ME!  My coaching is free of charge!  And if you are thinking “Sure, I want to lose weight, but this coaching thing is not for me”, then that’s perfectly fine.  Coaching is fun and rewarding to me, but it’s certainly not for everyone!

If you were inspired by Darlene’s story, I know she would love to hear that!  Please visit her NEW website that Beachbody gave her the minute she became a coach!  Once you get to Darlene’s website, click on the “Contact Me” button and tell her something about how she inspired you!  Or, leave a comment for Darlene below!

Together we’re BETTER! 

Judy

Team Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity.  Each coaches income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill.  See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings for the most recent information on the actual incomes of all our coaches.

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I bought P90X in late 2006, and started it for the first time in early 2007.  It was TOUGH, but one thing I remember most was how hard the P90X Ab Ripper X (ARX for short) routine was.  At the time, I was going through this life changing experience with over 100 other people.  We had gotten together on the Beachbody message boards and agreed to hold each other accountable.

When I started having trouble making it though ARX, I asked others “Wow…how are you getting through the whole thing”?  I had the advantage of MANY other people going through the same experience, and got many tips.

On February 1, 2010, I started a round of P90X after doing some other Beachbody programs during 2009.   As I was doing Ab Ripper X this morning, all of those tips kept flooding back into my mind.  Thank goodness!  I’m much better now than I was in 2007 when I first did it, but YOWZA…I needed help! 

So, it seemed appropriate to blog about this so that I could share the tips with others out there who may be  struggling.  Remember, the struggle will make you stronger, but here are some tips to help you through so that you keep showing up!

• The number one tip that helped me the most was “remove your sneakers”.  Just that little bit of weight will make a big difference.
• Keep the remote next to you and press “pause” if you need to.
• Even if you don’t pause the DVD, you can still take breaks.  For example, last week I set a goal to do 15 oblique V-ups per side (Tony and the kids do 25).  I do these with good form.  Your goal may only be 10…or 5 in the first week.  This morning I had a goal for 20 oblique V-ups per side.  I only made it to 18.  That’s okay.  I’ll continue to set my goal at 20 this week, and when I’m doing that easily, I’ll shoot for the whole 25!
• On any of the exercises where I am on my back, I lace my fingers behind my back, and place my hands beneath my butt.  This helps me to keep my lower back pressed into the floor and takes the pressure off of my lower back.
• Those mason twists at the end are KILLER, aren’t they?  If you notice, Tony and the kids have their feet off of the ground.  Start with your feet on the ground, and just do the twisting motion.  When you feel like you’re ready for more, do 10 with your feet off of the ground, and then place them on the ground for the remainder.  Keep extending that until you can do all 50 with your feet off of the ground.

Those are the tips that got me through last week!  As I progress towards my day 90, I’ll need them less and less! 

Do YOU have any tips on getting through P90X Ab Ripper X?  PLEASE leave a comment on here and share them with us!

Judy

P.S.  I’m not a personal trainer, so it’s important to know that these tips are only through my own personal experience as an “X”er!

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“I HATE pushups!”

That was me several years ago before I saw the light!  It turns out that pushups are good for me!  Who knew?    They work the muscles in my chest, shoulders, arms, upper back, AND my core…all at the same time.  Plus, since so many muscle groups are getting involved, my heart rate goes up.

I did my first round of P90X back in 2007. That summer, I went to my first Tony Horton Fitness camp in New York.  It was a BLAST (and the subject for another blog post some day), but that was the first time I got to try the pushup stands that TONY himself designed.  He called them “PowerStands”, and I never saw anything like them.  Unlike all of the push up stands I’ve seen before, these were strong, well made, heavily cushioned at the hand grip, and looked like they wouldn’t tip over if you were doing wide pushups.

They weren’t available for sale at the time, so I went on with my pushups with my hands on the floor.  I improved quite a bit, but then one day felt a twinge in my left wrist.  Afterwards, my pinkie and ring fingers in that hand were a little “tingly” feeling.  I laid off of the pushups for a while until things started feeling back to normal.

By this time, I saw that the PowerStands were available, so I ordered a pair.  Now, I rarely do a pushup without them.  I mentioned what happened to my wrist to my doctor, and I explained to him how I was now only doing pushups with my PowerStands, and I hadn’t seen any problems with my wrist.

I was REALLY hoping he wouldn’t say “Don’t do pushups anymore”.  HUH?  Did I just think that?  I used to HATE pushups!!!

It’s amazing how you can change your mind about something that you dislike once you see the benefit AND you have the proper tool.  For me, that proper tool was Tony Horton’s PowerStands.  Honestly, I couldn’t get through P90X without them!

Judy

P.S.  I just started a new round of P90X.  I was astounded to see that my first fit test showed that I could do 7 pushups on my toes.  I remember how proud I was that I could do 7 whole pushups on my toes.  How many did I do on THIS fit test?  32…and yes…ON MY TOES!!  Whoo hoo!    P90X works!

If you have wrist issues, it’s best to talk to your doctor (just like I did)!  Really, you should talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.  Exercise is GREAT for most people, but you need to make sure your body is ready.  Please!  Talk to your doctor!  That’s what he/she is there for! 

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You may have seen the P90X infomercial and been inspired to give it a try, but in the back of your mind you know that it’s too hard for you right now. Maybe you haven’t exercised in a while, or maybe you’ve NEVER exercised!

I can relate! When I started on my journey toward a “beach body” with Beachbody, I started with Slimin6 in 2004. I knew about P90X back then. The infomercial wasn’t even on the air yet, but I was actively using the message boards at Beachbody, and I knew several people who were using P90X and getting great results!

After Slimin6, I was happy that I was in better shape, but I still didn’t feel like I was ready for P90X. So the next program I tackled was another created by Tony Horton, Power90! This is a GREAT program to work up to P90X! It’s the same trainer, so you get used to Tony’s style a little.

Watch Don’s story below to see how he lost 38 pounds since starting Power90. He also talks about the value of having a Beachbody coach helping him. That’s what I do! Don is still working his way toward P90X. Right now he’s using another great program called ChaLEAN Extreme, created by the Turbo Jam creator, Chalene Johnson. After that one, I have a feeling his next program will be P90X!

There are two levels in Power90. The workouts in the first level (called 1-2) are around 30-35 minutes long and those in the second level (called 3-4) are around 40-45 minutes long. There’s resistance training (called “sculpt”) and cardio (called “sweat”).

You start out on level 1-2, and do that until it feels too easy for you. Then you move up to level 3-4.  Power90 is designed to be used 6 days per week. You do sculpt, then sweat, then sculpt, then sweat, then sculpt, then sweat.

There are also two levels of ab routines: ab ripper 100 and ab ripper 200. While doing the Power90 program, you do those 3 days a week as well. And the same is true for the levels…you do ab ripper 100 until it’s too easy. Then you move up to ab ripper 200.

Power90 also comes with a meal plan so you can start learning how to eat better to support your weight loss and healthy lifestyle.  Check out any of the Power90 links to see exactly what comes in the program!

It’s smart to begin with Power90 before moving up to P90X! But, as with EVERY exercise program, get your doctor’s okay before beginning! That is ALWAYS smart!

If you are interested in purchasing Power90, just click here!  I’ll be assigned as your personal coach, and I’ll be here to help you around the website and answer any questions you have about the program.

Judy

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This is a great video made by a fellow Independent Team Beachbody Coach.  It’s a great reminder of all of the incredible tools that Beachbody provides for us to improve our health both physically and financially. 

When you join as a coach, you get a discount of 25% off of all of these products that actually WORK (imagine that).  You also get your own website you can send people to when they want to buy Beachbody products from you, and you will receive a commission anywhere from 15-25%.

How much does all of this cost?  It’s $39.95 in your first month and $14.95 per month after that.  Incredible!  Lots of coaches (including me) initially join just to get the 25% discount off of their own products, but then they discover the very generous business opportunity provided.  I found out very quickly that it’s about sharing and helping others, and not about sellling.

So watch this video, have a laugh with Mike and his family, and get a little mini-tour of Beachbody set to the music of “The 12 Days of Fit-mas”. 

Judy

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I hear it all of the time.  “Judy, I’d love to lose X amount of pounds and live a healthier lifestyle.  I just don’t have the time.”  In our minds, we tend to make this a huge quantum leap, but that’s usually not the way things work.

People who are successful at making lasting change in their life make changes a little bit at a time.  They discard one unhealthy habit and replace it with a healthier one.  Then a week (or a few weeks) later, they do it again…always building on the new habits they’ve already established.

Jim Rohn often says “Successful people do things that unsuccessful people don’t want to do.  These things are easy to do.  The problem is…they are easy NOT to do.”

That is SO true!  Is it easy to go for a 10 minute walk everyday?  Sure it is!  Is it easy NOT to?  Absolutely!  It’s really these little choices made day in and day out that make all of the difference!

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