The Beachbody Challenge Packs include all 4 of the things that you need to get RESULTS:

1. A great workout program
2. Proper Nutrition
3. Accountability
4. Support

The Challenge Packs are also bundled together in a way so that you save money, and who doesn’t want to do that, right?

To get started, simply click on through to the Beachbody Challenge page, or click the Beachbody Challenge logo.

p.s. – Ever considered becoming a Beachbody Coach? Anyone who signs up for the Beachbody Challenge can become a Coach for FREE – saving you the normal $39.95 Coach sign-up fee, but you still get the lifetime 25% off of all Beachbody products!

In a never-before-seen move by Beachbody, they have dropped the price of one of their products to less than $20! Right now – and for a limited time only – you can get Shaun T’s Rockin’ Body program for only $19.95.

Rockin’ Body normally sells for $59.95, so it is a no-brainer for you to pick up a copy while the program is discounted! It includes 7 separate workout discs, the 3-Day Slimdown plan, the Never Again Diet Guide, and a Quickstart Guide to make sure you get started properly and get awesome results.

Rockin’ Body comes with all of the following, and is still only $19.95:

Workouts:

• Mark, Move & Groove
• Disco Groove
• Party Express
• Shaun T’s Dance Party
• Rock It Out
• Hard-Core Abs
• Booty Time

Extras:

•     My Quickstart Guide
•     Never “Diet” Again guide
•     24/7 Online Support
•     3-Day SlimDown
•     Party Guide

Shakeology Chocolate and Shakeology Greenberry are both still as delicious and drastically healthy as they’ve ever been, and now Beachbody is finally introducing a new flavor – TROPICAL!

In addition, not only is the new Shakeology a new flavor, but it is also VEGAN. So, for those of you who want the incredible benefits of Shakeology, but have been waiting for a Vegan version, the wait is finally over!

Shakeology Tropical goes on sale February 14, 2012, and as always, if you get it on Home Direct (and why wouldn’t you?), then shipping and handling is 100% free.

That’s it for this edition of Beachbody News You Can Use! As always, contact us anytime so we can help you to attain your health and fitness goals using the incredible Beachbody products and services!

See you next time!

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!

Sugar, sweet sugar—a delightful minute on the tongue in exchange for what feels like a lifetime on the hips. But weight gain isn’t the only consequence of eating too much sugar. Ready for the not-so-sweet truth?

Over-consumption of processed sugar can contribute to a number of conditions, including tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, hormonal imbalances, overgrowth of candida yeast, chronic fatigue, more severe PMS symptoms, anxiety—and yep, even wrinkles. On the other hand, if you start to cut sugar out of your diet, you can shed excess weight, increase your energy, improve your concentration, improve your moods, and possibly steer clear of diabetes. Ready to kick-start your sugar detox? To help you out, I’ll let you in on some reasons why we get addicted and how to read food labels for hidden sugars. I’ll also give you some tips on how to start your sugar detox so you’ll have a much better chance at living a long, vibrant, and disease-free life.

Why we crave sugar. According to AskDrSears.com, “Sweets trigger an increase in the hormone serotonin—a mood-elevating hormone. The body and brain get used to this higher level of serotonin and even depend on it for a sense of well-being. So when our serotonin level dips, (we dip) into the (sweets) to ‘correct’ the situation.” According to the Web site, sweets also “trigger the release of endorphins . . . the brain’s natural narcotics, helping you to relax when stressed.”

You’ve probably noticed that although sugar gives you an initial high (a rapid spike in your blood sugar), you crash several hours later, leaving you wanting more. It’s because sugar takes away more energy than it gives. Eventually, you find yourself exhausted, anxious, and moody. I know I’ve definitely experienced this crash too many times.

Is the sweet taste worth the unpleasant effects? Think gaining weight is the only negative effect of consuming too much sugar? Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of Lick the Sugar Habit, describes some surprising ways sugar intake can negatively affect your health:

• Suppresses the immune system’s defenses against bacterial infections
• Increases the risk of blood clots and strokes
• Contributes to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating
• Can lead to hypoglycemia, kidney damage, an elevation in harmful cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and tooth decay
• Helps speed the aging process, including wrinkles and gray hair

The list goes on . . .

Make the decision to detox from sugar. The first step in breaking a sugar addiction is making the decision to stop eating it completely for at least a few days to start to get it out of your system. While it’s usually best to make dietary changes gradually, sugar has the unique ability to inspire cravings that are refueled every time you give in to them. The only way to break the cycle is to stop feeding the fire. Then your cravings should subside substantially. Continue to resist large amounts of sugar and actively avoid situations that cue you to eat sweets. And whether you’re at work, at home, or at a party, just because a cookie is sitting out on a table in plain sight, that doesn’t mean you have to eat it.

Ask yourself why you’re eating sugar before you put it in your mouth. Are you eating out of habit? Because of circumstance? For a special occasion? Because everyone else is? Watch yourself like a lab rat. Begin to face your truth by keeping a food journal. I like to jot down what drives me to eat sugar, when I crave it, where I eat it, why I want it, and how I get it. For example, do you pop up out of your desk chair in search of cupcakes the second you hear people at the office singing “Happy Birthday”? Journaling can be helpful preparation for stomping out your sugar habit by making you aware of why you’re eating it.

Begin to eliminate sugar from your diet. For thousands of years, people ate whatever sugar occurred naturally in their diets, and it didn’t seem to be a problem; it was a treat. Registered dietician Becky Hand reports that the typical American now eats the equivalent of about 31 teaspoons (124 grams) of added sugar every day (about 25 percent of the average person’s daily caloric intake), and that sugar alone adds up to almost 500 extra calories each day! Our bodies simply weren’t designed to handle this massive load. The American Heart Association recommends that added sugar should be limited to no more than 6 to 7 percent of your total calories (not including naturally occurring sugars found in fruit and dairy products.) To put this in perspective, if you eat 1,200 calories a day, you should limit your intake to 21 grams of sugar per day. That’s the equivalent of about 6 ounces of low-fat fruit-flavored yogurt or one 8-ounce glass of orange juice.

To begin eliminating sugar from your regular diet, simply cut out foods with sugar, white flour, and high fructose corn syrup—including cakes, cookies, pastries, and most desserts. It’s okay to have a dessert or sugary snack on occasion, but make sure it’s not your main dish. Although sugar is generally found in desserts, added sugar can also be found in your main and side dishes, and even sauces. Look closely at the labels of processed foods, cereals, and sauces—like ketchup, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, and dressings. You can usually find nutritious alternatives with less sugar that taste just as good.

If you’re a Team Beachbody^® Club member, you can get a personalized, balanced online meal plan to ensure that you’re getting the proper nutrition you need to meet your health goals. You can even use the food analyzer to search for the nutritional makeup of various foods, so you’ll know which ones are high in sugar and should be avoided.

Eliminate hidden sugar. As you begin to decode ingredient labels, it’s really important to know all the other words for sugar and sugar alcohols. Here’s a hint: Look for words that end in “-ose.”

• Agave nectar/syrup
• Cane juice crystals
• Cane sugar
• Caramel
• Corn syrup
• Corn syrup solids
• Carob syrup
• Dextrin
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate (apple, grape, or pear)
• Galactose
• Glucose
• High fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Malt syrup
• Molasses
• Sorbitol
• Sucrose

Trick your taste buds. Using spices and herbs can trick your taste buds into thinking you’re eating something sinfully sweet. Try adding cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, or other sugar-free flavors and spices to your coffee, cereals, or other dishes and drinks that could use an extra kick.

Eat a healthy breakfast. What you eat for breakfast will actually influence your food choices for the next 12 to 15 hours, and influence your energy levels, moods, and overall sense of well-being. Dr. Joe Klemczewski, PhD, explains that eating a healthy breakfast balanced between lean protein (like egg whites) and slower-digesting complex carbohydrates (like oatmeal) will help you have good energy throughout the day, stabilize your blood sugar, reduce cravings, and make wiser food choices. Typically, your blood sugar is at fasting levels when you wake up in the morning. If you start the day off with a muffin and a latte, you’re choosing to ride the roller coaster for the rest of the day. If, on the other hand, you begin your day with a veggie omelet and fruit or some oatmeal, you’re opting for a balance of foods that will be absorbed at a slower rate. Then you’ll have a steadier flow of blood sugar that’s far easier to keep balanced than if it were fueled by a muffin, a bagel, or a cup of coffee dosed with sugar and cream.

Eat throughout the day. The best way to avoid impulse eating when you’re overly hungry is to eat several small meals, spaced throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar more stable than eating the traditional two or three large meals spaced farther apart from one another. Schedule your meals around your body’s needs rather than around your to-do list if you can. You’ll find it much easier to stop eating once you’re full; to make smart food choices from a rational, calm place; and to maintain even moods and energy levels. Eating balanced meals is essential for getting real satisfaction from what you eat and leaving cravings behind. For most people, this means approximately 50 percent of your meal should be vegetables or fruit, and the rest should be split between protein (beans, meat, dairy, etc.), grains, and a bit of oil or other fat. However, everyone’s a little different, and you should experiment to find what works best for you.

High-fiber foods fill you up—yet they bring less fat to the table, says Barbara J. Rolls, PhD, the Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Pennsylvania State and author of The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan. Plus, eating high-fiber foods allows you to eat a higher volume of food while ingesting fewer calories. It’s a concept called “energy density”—the number of calories in a specified amount of food, Rolls explains. Some examples of energy-dense foods are: apples (skin on) and bananas, avocados, flax meal, and kidney beans.

Find alternatives for when you have a craving. Make sure you find alternative foods and activities that you actually enjoy. If they aren’t satisfying, you’ll eventually abandon them for your old habits. When I’m craving something sweet yet healthy, I usually go for either low-fat Chocolatey Cats Cookies (for People) from Trader Joe’s^® (only 9.9 grams of sugar per serving) or chocolate Shakeology^® (only 9 grams of sugar)—that’s not bad for a sweet treat. Yep, I’m a sucker for chocolate, but I can still enjoy the taste without overdosing on sugar!художник на икониИкони на светци

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!

How did cookies become the Healthiest Meal of the Day^®? When an enterprising Team Beachbody chef figured out how to have their Shakeology and eat it, too. Simple to make and delicious to eat—you’ll never guess how healthy you’re being.

• 1 cup raw almond butter
• 1 cup organic, quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup organic honey (to taste)
• 1 cup Chocolate Shakeology
• Medium bowl

Chocolate Shakeology No Bake Cookies

Combine in medium bowl and mix well. Roll into balls (about a heaping teaspoon each). Makes 10 cookies.

Optional: Roll in crushed nuts or unsweetened coconut flakes before serving.

Preparation Time:10 minutes

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!

Don’t let these common mistakes become the EXCUSES that you use for why you aren’t getting RESULTS!

1. Large/Infrequent Meals – If you still believe that starving yourself and only eating once or twice a day is going to help you lose weight, you could not be more wrong. When you don’t eat small, frequent meals throughout the day, your metabolism slows down considerably, and your body goes into “starvation mode” – in other words, your body thinks it is not going to get nutrients very often. Then, when you do eat that “well-deserved” meal late in the day, your body stashes away as many calories from that meal as it can in preparation for the next starvation period. Those calories are stored as body fat, usually in your stomach, legs, butt, and any where else your body can find to keep it. Having large, infrequent meals is the opposite of losing body fat.
2. High Sodium Low-fat Foods – The majority of the foods that we eat get their flavor from 1 of 3 things: Fat, Sugar, or Salt (sodium). If you are shopping in the alleged “healthy section” – especially in the frozen foods area – you are probably mesmerized by the Low-Fat labels on everything. What those labels DON’T tell you, however, is that in order to make those foods taste good, they are instead stuffed with carbohydrates and/or sodium, both of which retard your body’s ability to burn body fat and show off the muscles underneath. In addition, since people equate “low fat” as being a low-calorie alternative, they tend to eat more total calories than their bodies need, and those extra calories – despite coming from a low-fat food source – still end up getting stored as body fat. You might as well just eat ice cream and at least enjoy the indulgence, because from a weight loss perspective, those low-fat foods are usually not going to actually help you lose weight.
3. Lack of Challenging Exercise – Are you one of those people who says that they exercise every day because they take a walk after dinner? Or – even worse – do you honestly think that “just 20 minutes a day 3 times a week” is going to help you lose weight? Here’s your Tip of the Day – “If you aren’t sweating and/or exerting yourself beyond your comfort level, you aren’t exercising at an intensity level that is going to get you results.” Yes, any exercise is better than no exercise, but if you want to actually lose weight – rather than just appease your guilty conscious – you need to workout hard, you need to workout frequently, and you need to challenge yourself past your previous limits EVERY time you exercise.
4. Incorrect Reaction to Injuries/Illness – How many times has a cold, a bug, or a minor injury caused you to stop working out altogether? Just because you aren’t at 100% of your normal capabilities does NOT mean that you can just give up and do nothing! Yes, take a few days if you’re sick and then get right back on track afterward. If you’re injured, take as much time as you need to heal the injured part of your body, but you still need to work the rest of your body. Just because you have an upper body injury, doesn’t mean you can’t do cardio or leg workouts. If your lower body is hurt, then do chest, shoulder, arm, ab, and back exercises. Don’t let an injury or illness completely sideline you from the game when all you really need to do is modify your approach.
5. Lifestyle Changes – Life is going to come by and smack you in the face from time to time – it happens. Divorce, drama, loss of a job, health concerns about yourself or someone you care about – these things happen. However, they are NOT an excuse to just give up – to the contrary, actually. The more life is a battle for you, the more you need to be EQUIPPED for that battle. Whether that means losing weight and skyrocketing your self-confidence, or if it means beefing up your body’s defenses by engaging in a consistent, effective exercise program, the bottom line is the same; the tougher your life is, the tougher YOU need to be to handle it. Rough times are not a time to give up – they are a time to RISE up!
6. Poor Planning – Your “best intentions” to really stick to your workout program or your nutrition plan are nothing more than self-indulgent hot air if you don’t back up those intentions with actual, consistent work towards those goals. A lack of planning on your part does not mean that your body is going to forgive you and start releasing body fat even though you forgot to bring a healthy lunch, or because you left your workout towel in the dryer at home. Plan out your day (or your week) in advance to be sure that with regard to your nutritional needs or your workout regimen, you are prepared every single day to do what you need to do to get results. At the end of the day (week, month, year, or decade), your body doesn’t care about your lack of planning. All it cares about is whether or not you did the work.

If any or all of these reasons that your body holds onto body fat are a part of YOUR lifestyle, now is the time to make a change. Don’t beat yourself up because of what you’ve done in the past – just plan and follow through on doing better in the future. At the end of the day, you are either overweight, or you’re not. And YOU are the only person who controls that.

If you are ready to make a positive change in your health or your fitness, check out the home exercises and at home workouts in our Fitness Store. We offer FREE, on-going coaching to all of our customers who are willing to take control over their lives!

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!

If dieting and nutrition are your biggest weight loss challenges, spaghetti squash is definitely something you should add to your menu in place of pasta. It’s filling and tasty, yet drastically more healthy than actual pasta. Check out this short video and see how easy it is to make.

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!

To maximize the benefits of your exercise program, it is critical that you get the proper nutrients, in the right amounts, and at the right times. This video about recovery drinks after cardio will help you to do that.

If you’re willing to take on the P90X challenge (and get the best results of your life!), then grab your copy of P90X so Shanna and Aaron can Coach you to success!

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!

Also, you can make it even more filling by simply adding more lettuce, which is all but devoid of calories, but it still fills you up. This is a HIGHLY recommended dish!

Credit for this recipe goes to Mark’s Daily Apple.

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!

Holiday cheer and health all at the same time.

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!

It’s pretty standard health and fitness information that lean meats and healthy, complex carbohydrates should be part of your nutrition plan every single day. Chicken is almost pure, 100% protein, and whole wheat pasta is packed with long-term energy producing complex carbohydrates.

This particular dish was delicious, and it did not take Shanna long at all to whip it up!

For access to more than 200 healthy recipes just like this one, as well as a ton of other benefits, be sure to check out the Beachbody Club Membership.

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!

As Shanna points out in this video, it was a simple matter of throwing come chicken in a crock pot, then boiling up the pasta at the end of the day and mixing up all the ingredients. Simple, healthy, and tasty!

This meal includes healthy, complex carbohydrates for energy, lean protein (chicken), and the healthy dietary fats found in avocados.

For access to more than 200 healthy recipes just like this one, as well as a ton of other benefits, be sure to check out the Beachbody Club Membership.

© Aaron Potts - visit Fitness Destinations for more great information about weight loss, health, and overall fitness!
Fitness Destinations is proudly sponsored by the incredible products and services provided by Team Beachbody!