My Experience with Team BeachBody Customer Service

I want to share my experience with the folks over at Team BeachBody customer service.  Whether you have a great, good or bad experience, people tell someone else so they know what to expect when they are considering who they are dealing with.  Word of mouth is extremely powerful and can change the course of a company's success or failure.  And so after having dealt with a situation, I would like to pass along my observations and recommendations.

I am currently enrolled in a monthly supply of a product from Team BeachBody called Shakeology since the beginning of September.  In my opinion and the professional opinion of dozens of doctors and thousands upon thousands of other customers, Shakeology provides amazing health benefits.  My first full month of using it I experienced the benefits made in the claims the company advertises.  I blogged a post back in September about how Shakeology Acts like a salad and tastes like a dessert.

My plan was to use the shake to replace my whey isolate protein powder and the multi-vitamin/mineral supplements I've been taking as part of my healthy diet, with no extra out of pocket expense.  Only there's been a HUGE problem.  I've not been able to drink Shakeology for over a month!  Reason being I haven't received my 30 day auto shipment to my new home address in British Columbia.  In the beginning of October I called and notified Team Beachbody of a new shipping address, but it was already too late.  They'd already sent my second shipment to my previous address.  However, customer service said they'd simply mail me a package to my new address and the residents at the old address could simply return it to sender.  Sounds like a simple thing doesn't it.  Well, the package was promptly returned in the postal mail while I awaited the shipment of Shakeology to arrive at my new address.  Only it never came.  The weeks have gone by and I'm still waiting.  I thought well maybe it got lost in the mail system, or the Canada Post system is really slow, or maybe it got hung up in customs.  Who knows.  Last week I sent an email to Team Beachbody.

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 Customer By Web Form (David van der Leek)11/03/2011 06:17 PM It has been weeks since I talked to a representative at beachbdoy to have my shakeology order sent to my new address and still my order hasn't arrived. Please confirm the order was shipped.  The previous auto ship order that was sent to my address in Alberta was received and immediately returned to Beachbody.  It is extremely disappointing and frustrating to have such a lengthy delay in having the product shipped and received to my address in BC. Please contact me ASAP to confirm delivery of the shakeology auto order. I hope that this is not typical of the kind of experience customers have with shipping to Canada. I may have to reconsider the use of the product if I cannot receive it in a timely manner.

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So fast forward four days later and this morning I received this response from Customer Service.  Someone didn't use a spell checker before sending out the response below.  LOL

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 Response Via Email (Valeria Dominguez)11/07/2011 08:36 AM Hello David:

Thank you for contacting Team Beachbody!

We Apologize for the delay in your order. This was an error on our nehald we had the incorrect postal code, so your order never was shipped out. We have corrected the postal code and have send it to the correct address today at 7:35 AM as of yet we do not have a tracking number, as soon as we do we will email you the information. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter, please accept a box of protein bars as an apology for our error. Here is the order number for the bars 10792398 This order was shipped out to: my new address

For any questions or concerns please contact us via email at coachrelations@teambeachbody.com or toll free at 800 240 0913

We wish you are having a healthy day!

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Well, that was a very nice gesture wasn't it?  It did raise a couple of concerns.  First, the order for the October auto shipment to my new address was NEVER shipped.  Why?  Because they didn't have the correct postal code.  Hmmm....how difficult would it have been to email me and ask for it, or pickup the phone and call?  Never happened.  Second, I've never ordered any other consumable products from Team Beachbody and wasn't particularly interested in the Protein Bars.  No one called or emailed to say, "hey we made a mistake on your postal code and need the correct one.  In return, we would love to be able to send you some extra product as a way to say thanks for your continued support as a good customer.  Would you like to try some Protein Bars or would you prefer something else?"

Hey, I'm really not trying to be difficult or a pain in the backside.  So I picked up the phone this morning before going to work and called Customer Service.  A nice voice answered after a brief number of rings.  For the life of me I don't know what the heck she said after she rattled off her robot greeting.  I actually thought for a moment I had reached an answer machine!  LOL  Anyways, as soon as I realized I had a live person on the other end I explained the situation.  I said I wasn't interested in any products other than the Shakeology and asked to have the goodwill of Protein Bars removed from the order and replaced with a bag of Shakeology instead.  She was very quick to reply that it wasn't possible to substitute.

When I mentioned how even though I'm not an official BeachBody coach because I live in Canada,  I do have a strong following of friends on Facebook and here at my Blog, where people will be interested to learn about my experience with the product and with Customer Service.  I expressed again my desire to have an additional bag of Shakeology instead of the Protein Bars.  Customer Service put me on hold while she went to talk to a supervisor.  Upon coming back on the line about 5 minutes later, her tone had changed drastically to rather uncaring and was very short.  I was told that the supervisor has authorized your request.  I thanked her for the service and said I was satisfied.  The call ended.

I came home this evening to find a message on the answering machine.  Hmmm...strange, I don't recall giving her my phone number.  Anyhow, the message was from Customer Service, only this time the tone was very warm, very friendly, very caring and with much concern that I was completely satisfied.  I was assured that I would be receiving my original auto ship order for October, plus an extra free 30 day supply of Shakeology, PLUS the Protein Bars, and that I could use them or give them to friends.  This was totally unexpected and I think that Customer Service went above and beyond to make sure that a customer was completely satisfied.  For the most part I am.  I'm only frustrated that I will still not have my Shakeology for at least another two weeks while it makes its way through Canada Post.    It's thrown a real monkey wrench into the my healthy eating plan as I have been without my supplements, and I NEED MY SUPPLEMENTS!!!  As a result, I've put off my intense workouts until such a time as I receive them.

Well that's my experience with Team BeachBody Customer Service.  In a nutshell, they made a mistake in my address.  Nothing was done about it even though they knew there was a problem until I called wondering what happened.  I think they could do a better job of being more customer oriented and focused on customer needs.  They certainly did make me a satisfied customer when they agreed to my request, but went above and beyond to also include the Protein Bars.  Companies need to be very aware of their customers needs and concerns no matter the size of the company or the products being offered.  Good customer service is hard to come by, but on the whole I think Team Beachbody is doing a tremendous job at a tremendous value for people who are seeking the very best in healthy alternatives.  People make mistakes.  Great people resolve them in a timely and fair manner.  Thank you Team Beachbody for providing good customer service today.  I don't expect you to be perfect, but I did expect you to fix things when they went wrong, and you did!  Kudos!!  DECIDE, COMMIT, SUCCEED!

Age-Defying Muscles

"It's bad business getting older, and I would advise you not to do it!" Those words from Woody Allen on his experience with aging.  If only it was a matter of choice, and too many of us avoid the proven alternative.  Because the truth is that there is an established method and strategy that will let you grow old with some grit and grace, and its name is strength training through muscle confusion.

At around the age of 40, our bodies slowly and progressively begin to lose strength.  We lose about a quarter of a pound of muscle every year, or roughly 1 to 2 percent loss in strength!  What's happening is the aging process breaks down muscle, known as sarcopenia.   Your muscles up until the age of 40 are naturally able to synthesize enough proteins to grow and maintain muscle.  However, the bodies ability to keep up with the demands of life begins to wane.

Thankfully, the remedy to slow down this phenomenon is readily available.  Weights are the fountain of youth and the age-defying muscle builders!  Combined with a nutritional diet of lean proteins, we can put a halt to the decline and actually reverse the trend.  More muscle means you'll be more mobile, lower your risks and incidence of heart disease, obesity, certain cancers, and diabetes as well as increased quality of living.  Just ask someone who hasn't kept up with exercise and good eating about the quality of their life and you will usually find that they will encourage you to start doing those things as early as possible in life so that you can truly have some golden years. 

Fitness experts recommend that all healthy adults do strength training exercises at least two to three days a week.  It is also recommended to concentrate your muscle exercises on all six of the major muscle groups:  chest, shoulders, arms, abdomen, legs, and back.  The easiest and least expensive way to get into a weight training program is to use hand weights and or exercise bands combined with body resistance training, and that simply means using your own body weight.  If you want the most bang for your buck, you don't need to invest in expensive machines and pulley systems.  Your body is the fitness machine.  I strongly recommend the at home fitness program created by Tony Horton for Beach Body called P90X.

What I like about P90X is it gives me a structured, easy to follow, total body workout and nutritional guidance that is bringing me what I view as amazing results!  It's for all levels of fitness, so whether you're just a beginner or need to take your workouts to the next level, you're going to get exactly what you need!  Don't just take my word for it, there are thousands of success stories on Youtube and a few that I've shared here on my Rx For Fitness and Health blog.


To wrap it up, let me suggest some training tips for guaranteed success: 

1.  Always warm up prior to your workout!  Do some light jogging on the spot, some squats, arm circles and or push ups, jumping jacks and light stretching that will raise your heart rate slowly and get the muscles warm and ready for the workout.

2.  When performing any strength training exercise, watch your form in the moves by lifting with precision and controlled.

3.  Do NOT hold your breath.  Just breathe.  Focus on exhaling during the hard part of the lift.

4.  Start with a lighter weight and more repetitions for toning and to get the form first, then heavy up for fewer reps and for building more muscle.

5.  Do not over exert yourself or over extend your joints beyond comfort. Push yourself a little out of your comfort zone, but If it HURTS, STOP.

6.  Train the larger muscles first, such as your pecs, lats, glutes, quads and hamstrings, and then work your way to the smaller muscles of your hips, arms and shoulders.

7.  Leave your abdominal and core muscles training for the end.  You need these muscles fresh to help stabilize your body during weight lifting.

8.  Proper Rest and recovery is critical, so wait 48 hours between training the same set of muscles again.

9.  Lift with purpose, don't just lift, but focus on it and squeeze!.  Set goals and write them down and work hard to attain them!

The different workouts of P90X are based on a training concept called periodization, or "muscle confusion." This method of cross-training is achieved through switching the order of exercises and incorporating new moves and varied movements. From my own experience now using the method for the past 8 months has prevented my body from adapting to exercises over time and resulting in continual improvement without plateaus.  It has provided the perfect balance for strength training and my muscles have developed and continue to build in mass.  I feel stronger, have more energy, sleep fantastic and enjoy a quality of life at the age of 48 that I now feel like I had in my twenties!  If Tony Horton can do it at the age of 52, you too can have age-defying muscles if you decide, commit and succeed!  It's never too late to get started, so what are you waiting for?  "Why not you?  Why not you to do something for work that you love?  Why not you to have a healthy body?  Why not you to have a healthy love?  Why not you to be, have or do anything you have ever dreamed of?  We are so quick to think others are deserving over ourselves.  The truth is that we are ALL deserving, SO WHY NOT YOU?!!"  - Jillian Michaels

Exercise Is For Life

When I exercise I feel great and I know I'm better for it.  My stress levels are less, I've been sleeping better and I would say that my energy level is stronger.  Exercise has also been of great benefit in clearing out the external negativity that constantly seems to want to feed my mind.  With all these pros, ask yourself, why do I lose interest in working out so fast?  Why do we fall back into old habits so easily?  What is it about those people who have been able to stick to it and be a success?

Let's face it, exercise, especially if you haven't done it for a long time because of a sedentary and lazy lifestyle, is very daunting.  It's darn right hard work and very challenging.  Some of the benefits I've experienced are not instantly gained right at the start of a new program.  In fact, at first, my workouts left me very sore and very tired!  I experienced shortness of breath, my joints hurt, my muscles ached for days, I felt drained and at times wondered why even bother, we all die anyway right?  There were times when I could barely finish even half of the workouts in the beginning.  It was a real struggle!  I'd put the P90X DVD disk into the player and pace the floor delaying the inevitable decision to push the play button.  I didn't see results immediately, because the truth is nobody does.  It takes time to get over the hump of pain. The rewards for those who persevere far exceed the pain that must precede the victory!  It took me time to see the results and benefits of eating healthy and working out.  It took a little time before I really began to accept and actually enjoy the workouts.  But just know that eventually, you will too, so don't give up, stick to it, and as Tony Horton says, just "do your best and forget the rest!" 

Remember my friends that EFFORT is a solo performance that only you can perform.  No else can do this for you. Someone may inspire you and you may feel motivated to make a decision, but it is entirely up to you to succeed at your goals.  Believe in yourself and trust WHY you are doing this.  It's not a 90 day program, a 180 day program or a 360 day destination.  It may very well start out that way, but then your vision changes and you begin to see a much bigger picture, a picture for a healthier lifestyle that doesn't end when the the weight loss or the muscle gain is reached.  In the beginning, setting some smart goals is very important.  What do you want to accomplish and why?  How are you going to get there?  When do you want to achieve your goal by?  P90X, or for that matter any exercise program that you will stick to, is a valuable tool to accomplishing your dreams.

Many professionals recommend a personal fitness trainer to assist you on your fitness journey.  May I recommend Tony Horton as he's been there for me the entire time, both through the extreme home fitness program P90X and through the website Team Beachbody.  There's no way I could afford a personal trainer all the time, but Tony Horton at the age of 52, seen to the right, helps you with the basics as a beginner, pushing you toward a striver level and then to an extreme warrior athlete!  Look where I was when I started out in February of this year and how far I've come since then!  Wouldn't you agree that it's an incredible transformation?  Wouldn't you like to experience it for yourself and why everyone who has gone through this is so excited about what life now has to offer!  You don't need a gym membership.  You don't need to feel embarrassed showing up to a fitness center when your home and a few simple and basic tools is all you'll need.  Just show up at home and start to make this a daily habit.

Remember, you want to exercise and you want to feel good.  You want to have an enjoyable experience and one that is positive.  I want to tell you how positive and encouraging Tony Horton is, but you will know for yourself after he inspires you to do better than you have ever done before.  Get involved with others through online support groups.  Again, you do not need a gym or club membership, you just need to decide, commit and succeed!  Yes, it is a struggle, but it's a predictable outcome based on the success of so many individuals before you.  The path to health and fitness has many side roads, many pitfalls, many valleys and peaks that will ultimately lead to your success.  Effort is a solo performance that only you can perform.  Exercise is for life and it's bright future is in your hands!

The (Unsurprising) Truth About Toning Shoes

For all the hype, do toning shoes work?  Have there been any peer reviewed studies?  Do the claims of manufacturers stand up to scrutiny?

"Helps tone legs and bum more than regular trainers. Reebok EasyTone with balanced ball inspired technology. Better legs and better bum with every step."

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's no magic pill, no magic cure or any secret remedy to strengthening your body and becoming fit.   I agree with the author that "you can never achieve “lean” or “toned”  legs/bum/abs/neck/arms/etc by simply exercising that body part more.  I repeat – body shaping doesn’t work.  The only way to achieve a lean/toned look in any area of your body is to simply have a low amount of body fat."

The (Unsurprising) Truth About Toning Shoes

You want to know how I am getting lean, toned and gaining muscle all over my body?  By simply eating healthier and working out 5-6 times a week!  Just see for yourself in this video of me bringing it!



It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life. So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me. I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts. I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes. So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Honey I Shrunk My Pants

The right combination of diet and exercise is the key to dropping excess pounds. Do your pants or clothing feel tight or snug? An effective way of dropping a pant size is to change your diet and increase your activity level. Creating a deficit of calories will cause a loss of weight and lead to a smaller waistline. But first you need to establish a baseline for your daily calorie intake. I use the Harris-Benedict Equation as a guide for determining my caloric needs to maintain my current weight.

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

As an example, I’m 48 years old, 6’1” and weight 175 pounds. Using the above equation for men, 66 + (6.23 x 175) + (12.7 x 73) – (6.8 x 48) = 1757 calories. If I want to lose weight, I would strive for 500 fewer calories per day, or to gain weight I would add 500 calories to my daily diet. It takes an accumulative deficit of about 3500 calories to drop 1 pound. Over the course of weeks and months, it can add up fast and shrink your pant size!

If you want to burn even more calories, other than through reducing the amount you eat, you need daily exercise. You burn calories through physical activities like biking, jogging, walking, swimming and other athletic sport activities. It’s recommended to get at least 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise. By combining my reduced calorie diet and P90X exercise, I burned over 13 thousand calories more per week than I consumed, and I was successfully able to achieve an average weight loss of 15 pounds per month for the first three months. Since February 1st, I’ve lost a total of 65 pounds and 7 pants sizes! In the video, you can see how I look going from a 44 inch pant size to a 32!



To help you stay motivated, I recommend you track your progress. There are many online resources that are free such as www.fitday.com or www.sparkpeople.com that have calories trackers that count what you eat, what you burn through exercise and help you reach your goal. It’s a great way to stay focused and get results!

One thing that you can do to greatly improve your health is by going with fresh fruits and vegetables. Skip the processed foods and choose foods that are lower in calories including whole grains and lean proteins such as fish and poultry.

Lastly, to rev up your metabolism and burn more calories, start training your muscles through resistance workouts and weight lifting. The more muscles you build and develop, the more calories you’ll burn and the more weight you’ll lose. Soon you’ll be fitting into the pants you wore when you were younger and you’ll look and feel great!

It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life.   So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

HARD CORE!

I want a six-pack!  Who doesn't want to get into the best shape of their life and have the perfect abdominal section.  A strong hard core has everything to do with strength, power, performance and your health.  If your midsection is weak, guess what...you're probably not benefiting like you could from this crucial center of power, agility and balance.

Using the P90X program has provided me, and several friends I know, (in the picture to the right, thanks Toni & Matt) with the perfect way to develop my core strength.  If you neglect the core muscles that consist of your abdominal and back muscles, the oblique side muscles, the transverse abdominis muscles that wrap around your torso, you are at significantly higher risk of pain and injury.  If you have lower back pain and want to reduce or virtually eliminate it, then you must improve your spinal flexibility by going hard core with exercise. 

However, I won't promise or guarantee you a six-pack if you fail to clean up your diet.  Exercise and nutrition go hand in hand.  I had a huge belly at a whopping 47 inches of fat when I started this journey on February 1st, 2011.  If I had continued down that path of obesity from overeating and poor nutritional food, it's most certain I would have developed cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney ailments, joint pain and a host of other conditions that medical doctors have linked to weight gain and bad diet.  Carrying all the extra belly fat was just a real pain and was becoming a major problem for me.

Fast forward 6 months and today I'm trimmed down to a respectable 34 inch waist! (I'll post updated pictures of my progress after August 1st) I have the creator of P90X, Tony Horton, to thank for giving me the program that brings results.  It offers a variety of core exercises that improved my posture, enhanced my body movements, strengthened and defined my abdominal and lower back muscles and is flattening my tummy!  I don't have a six-pack yet, but I'm working on it hard and daily.  Here's a video below that I put together of my workout today with a montage of the variety that's offered in the Core Synergistics Workout from Beach Body.



I ended my fat trend, I know you can too!

It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life.   So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Salad Heaven!

I have found the taste of dressing heaven for salad!  It doesn't come in a bottle from the grocery store or in a pre-packaged value added container.  It's gluten free, dairy free and contains no unhealthy added salt, fat or oil.  No matter how much you dislike eating green salads, that's all about to change by simply adding this natural dressing to your garden greens.  Matter of fact, I think I'll try it with chicken too or kebabs as a dipping sauce. Now that I think about it, it would also be perfect as a veggie dip with broccoli, celery, carrots, cucumber, etc.  It's just so delicious, mouth watering and lip licking good that words just don't do it justice.

I came across this gem about a month ago after reading some suggestions from P90X creator Tony Horton on healthy recipes he likes, and this one stood out for me as something I'd like to try.  Well I did last night, and WOW!  It's a combination of nutty, citrus, sour and sweet flavors that blend together magnificently!  It's so good folks you may be tempted to eat this for breakfast!

I pulled some fresh homegrown in my own garden butter crunch lettuce, kale, Swiss chard and romaine lettuce. Next came the decision of what to dress my salad with when it hit me...I remembered this dressing by The Chef and Dietitian.  So I opened up my Ipad2 and turned to the saved bookmark of their blog and found the recipe that's included with their 5 minute YouTube video. 

 
So without further adieu, let me introduce you to these two amazing ladies who dish up a keeper of a recipe!



As you saw in the video, they used Kale only, but I like more variety in my salad, so decide what you want and go from there. Here's a recap of Hail to the Kale and the incredible dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water/coconut water
• A handful of pitted dates (I used 4 Californian grown Oasis Organic Medjool Dates)
• 1/3 cup of lemon or lime juice with some zest (I used the juice from two organic lemons and the zest from one)
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soya sauce or Tamari Sauce (I used Tamari sauce)
• 1 inch of fresh ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 Cup of unsweetened, unsalted, raw Almond Butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of Red Cayenne Pepper Flakes

Directions:

In a high-powered blender, (I use a Vita-Mix 5000) combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.  I blended on high for about 30 seconds.  Simply pour the dressing over whatever salad greens you've selected or any other veggies, etc for dipping.  Sprinkle the salad with some finely chopped almonds or hemp hearts.  Refrigerate any unused dressing.

Thank you Chef AJ and Dietitian Julieanna Hever MSRD for this amazing healthy recipe!  Thanks for making healthy taste delicious!!  This gets a 5 out of 5 star rating from this health nut.  Please keep sharing those great healthy and nutritious recipes!!

It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life.   So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Why Don't You Drink Milk?

When friends ask, "why don't you drink milk?" I am now confident that what I am eliminating from my daily diet is the best for my overall health and fitness.  I base this on my own experience and study of the topic.

I believe that cow's milk is mother nature's perfect food for a calf or breast milk for a human child, until it's weaned.  Calcium and protein?  Where do cows and other animals get calcium for their bones and protein for their muscles?  From plants!  Enough said.  There are however some healthy dairy choices and nondairy foods I'd recommend.  I use 1-2 daily servings (1 servings=8 ounces or 1 cup) of the following:

Organic low fat Greek yogurt
Goat milk or goat cheese
Almond Milk
Coconut Milk
Rice Milk
Soy Milk
Soy-based cheeses and yogurt
Kefir (fermented dairy products)

We simply don't need to consume dairy milk to be healthy.  Reducing your intake of dairy will cut back on your levels of unhealthy saturated fat and lower cholesterol.

Got Milk?  The dairy industry is...well, it's an industry...a business, and they can market whatever they want.  But if you're like a questioning consumer that I have become and carefully scrutinize what I fuel my body with, then you might ask yourself some questions about why humans are the only animal species that drink milk and continue to after being weaned.  I found the following article in the McDougall Newsletter to provide some solid  information with factual references on the topic.   Dairy foods are simply high in calories, high in fat and cholesterol and contribute to disease and illness.

In the months that I've eliminated dairy milk from my diet, I have also eliminated my cravings for dairy.  I have eliminated congestion from my body.  I feel great being off dairy milk.  It has not been an hindrance, but an advantage to my health and wellness.  Like Dr. John McDougall, I can find no reason to add dairy into my diet.  Tony Horton, the creator of P90X suggests try eliminating dairy milk from your diet for 30 days and see how it makes you feel.  Then add it back in and see what difference you feel.  Take the 30 day Food Challenge! 

If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Boredom is Enemy Number One

At one time or another you and I have each experienced boredom to one degree or another. My kids are usually the quickest to say “I’m bored,” but  as adults, we experience our share. Boredom comes sometimes from a feeling of laziness, exhaustion, or even a lack of mental stimulation.  It's a  very powerful emotion that if not kept in check can run our lives a muck.  I don't know how realistic it is to keep my mind and body continually at its peak, but it's certainly is something to be striving  for.  Having an active lifestyle and being the director of my life is something I've  always aimed for, but haven't always been motivated or persistent in that department.  When boredom is on the mental and emotional stage, I feel robbed of  having my needs met.  Boredom becomes enemy number one!

When I'm bored I feel empty inside.  Sometimes I just get fed up with a particular situation at that given moment or at the lack of activity in my life.  Boredom leads to complacency, makes me feel tired, restless and can cause me to procrastinate and become indecisive.  I end up do nothing which just makes me even more fed up and bored.  You start to feel like you're in a rut.  Your outlook on life turns sour.  You may even feel irritable and angry. These negative things turn into negative self-talk that just further fuels the boredom, especially when I'm alone, which often leads to overeating or binge eating.

You've probably heard that before you can accomplish something or make it happen, you need to visualize what it is you want.  Who do you want to be and where do you want to go? What is your purpose?  Is your routine too repetitive or overly structured?  Change it up.  Instead of waiting for something to happen,  take action yourself and initiate it.  Think, if it is to be, it is up to me.  Failures don't plan to fail; they fail to plan.  The key to overcoming boredom is simply refusing to allow it in  the first place and to have a positive outlook about life and all of its endless possibilities.  One of the actions to overcoming my boredom has been changing my attitude and outlook on life.  It seems to have have a positive influence to how I perceive boredom. 

Being inspired towards bigger and better goals, I've become motivated and have fewer tendencies to feel bored.  A great method to longer lasting health and well-being is simply moving your body and getting that circulation going. Exercise stimulates the chemicals called endorphins that improves your mood naturally and makes you feel better.  Get off the couch and get busy with something, anything.  Plan your day so it's full of activities for your body and mind.  TV does not engage your mind, so don't even think about it! Live your life, not theirs.  Beachbody workouts, like P90X, offer a variety that keeps the boredom away too, as long as you keep pushing play. 

So the next time you start to feel bored, give yourself a daily goal and then keep your mind on that goal. Get excited, get inspired, get motivated and be persistent!  There's no time to get bored.  It's that little push for yourself that keeps everything interesting.  Finally, remember that nutrition is king and exercise is queen, put them together for your own kingdom and squash the boredom bug!  Let me know what your remedy for boredom is by leaving a comment today.  Thanks for reading the blogpost and I hope you will share it.

If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me. I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts. I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes. So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

HI NRG Exercise

If you want to improve your strength, endurance and stamina within a matter of weeks, you simply need to eat healthy and move your body!    I have noticed that over time, my workouts have dramatically improved and I am able to train with more intensity.

In the following videos I demonstrate several of the key workouts outlined in the P90X DVD's.  This particular routine is called Cardio X and consists of warm up followed by 4 workout sessions and a cool down.  It burns calories BIG TIME and leaves me feeling exhilirated!  When I started out, my shirt was dry and at the end, well, you'll see.  That's not spray on folks!!  I'm working hard and I know you are too, so let's get started. 

Note:  There's no audio, and watch for the annotation descriptions of the moves.   Click the enlarge icon in the bottom right corner of each video to watch it full screen.




Sample of Warm Up routine






Sample of Yoga X routine






Sample of Kenpo X routine






Sample of Plyometrics routine






Sample of Core Synergistics routine






Sample of Cool Down routine



If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

The Persistence Fitness Puzzle

When is the last time you achieved something worthwhile, something great, something amazing without being persistent at it?  You  need persistence to achieve your goals whether they are fitness related such as losing weight, building muscle or developing strength through resistance exercises, or a completely new direction in life.  The path to success is a journey of many steps and this quality of persistence is required not just in weight loss but in anything in life were progress is not easily attained or consistent.

Do you possess persistence, and if not, can you develop it?  Persistence is only needed when you either doubt what you are doing will bring success or are too impatient to wait for the results.  Persistence is not needed when you can see the results of your work on a regular basis, because that is usually enough of a motivation to keep going.  It is when what you are doing slows down or shows no noticeable progress that the persistence to stick with the task is required.  I'm at the stage now in my fitness progression where it's slowing down and I know that I need to persevere. 

I believe we all have the potential to persevere when the going gets tough. Dig deep within you, it's there! Armed with correct knowledge, we can be assured that the steps we are taking will result in success down the road, sooner for some and later for others.  Sometimes you must descend into the valley before you can climb the mountain.   Those who have shown by their example that results are achievable even in the face of struggle, give us reason to persevere.  Many individuals have taken steps backwards or had setbacks for one reason or another, but with persistence they never give up and keep pushing play.   Knowing beforehand that there were challenges that came up for others, should give you the strength and the mindset to not give up when it happens to you.

When you commit to something, naturally you want to see the results of the hard work you put in.  For some people the results come in the first 90 days, for some in 180 days, and for others 1 or more years.  As you persist in the actions you're taking to achieve your goals, don't become impatient if it doesn't happen right away.  Keep pushing play.  Persistence is vital to fulfill many ambitions and goals in life.  Follow what is correct then it pays off to stick with it as long as possible, even if the results are not as quick as you had hoped.

In the following video, P90X creator Tony Horton shares his insight into how to stay in the game day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. 



To get amazing results, you need to have amazing persistence and determination.  Many fail to succeed because they lacked the persistence to continue when results were not as forthcoming as their expectations.

To highlight what Tony suggested, look past the three months.  How do you do that? What are the key aspects to how that happens?

• Simplify.  Push play and eat right.  It's not always done everyday and it can't be perfect everyday.
  
• Don't be attached to results.  Stay encouraged.  In the beginning I counted calories to help me stay focused.  I no longer do and like Tony, I just eat the right portion size of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats.  Follow the 90/10 plan, eat 90% of the time healthy and leave 10% for occasions when you're not so strict on yourself.
  
• Be in the moment and enjoy it.  Don't worry about the past, it's history and the future's a mystery.  The most important thing is to show up 5-6 days a week.  Figure out why you're doing this.  If I exercise today I will feel good, be healthier, be more fit and the quality of my life will improve.  

So when you start to hear those niggly little excuses wiggling their way into your mindset, stop them in their tracks before they gain a foot hold.  When you hear an excuse like "I'm too busy" have a counter offensive:

1.  This is important enough to me that I can find the time.
2.  If I’m so busy then this can fit right in.
3. I can stop being merely busy and start being truly effective with my time.

Start by giving yourself reasons to do something instead of giving up.  If you feel you have limitations, and we all do, then all the more reason to persist in spite of them!  A kite never flew high up in the sky without the limitation of wind and the kite line.  These forces of opposition in our life are what help us to reach new heights and grow. 



If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Beginner, Striver or Warrior?

Fitness expert Tony Horton is the driving force behind my health success! I strongly recommend the Beachbody workout he created called P90X. Chances are you've either seen an infomercial, watched a news related health story, or seen his book. After reading my blog, you may be asking yourself if this is for you or if it'll be too overwhelming. I asked the same questions and wondered if this was just going to be another one of those fad programs we've all seen others try and fail. There are so many individuals who have shared their stories of transformation that are simply incredible!! These people are not making this stuff up and neither am I. P90X debuted in 2004 to provide a rigorous regimen for people with some experience in fitness programs. However, the training is not only geared toward those who are seasoned at exercising, but also to those who are just beginners. It really does offer workouts for all levels.  If I could do it, I know you can too!

So just what is P90X? Its a 90-day program that combines a variety of exercise techniques including strength training, cardio, yoga, plyometrics and stretching. The program consists of a nutrition guide, fitness plan, calender and series of DVD videos featuring Tony Horton as instructor assisted by several fitness models who demonstrate the different workout levels depending on whether you're a beginner, a striver or a warrior! So you can follow along with moves at a lower and or higher level of intensity depending on your level of fitness and goals. If you're unsure of your current fitness level, there's even a fitness test.

Beginner is what it says on the label. You're beginning. You want to make a change, you're probably out of shape, carrying around substantial extra weight, and need a place to start. Beginners make small dietary changes at a time, get active and modify moves to a beginner level.  A Striver is perhaps someone who has less to lose, who is doing a lot of things right but maybe has plateaued. A striver eats clean, works out regularly, and is striving for that healthy lifestyle (and is on the way).  A Warrior is top of the chain - bringing it every workout, a peak performer, in fact I'd say performance is a key component to the Warrior. Warriors don't just do the full move, they add an advanced component.   So the question is - which are you?

The P90X program cycle goes 13 weeks, training six days per week and the seventh day as a stretch/rest day. The three training blocks during the 90 days of the program can be performed one of three ways called "classic", "lean" or "doubles," that you select according to your goals. Do you want to shed pounds of fat and strengthen muscles? Go lean! Do you want to build more muscle and tone up? Go classic! If you want to maximize both, go doubles! My first round I did the "lean" version.  I'm on my second round doing the "classic" version.  Most of the workouts are less than 1 hour in duration. The Abdominal workout called AB Ripper X is 15 minutes and is done 2-3 times per week depending on the program you choose.   Here's an example of the classic program routine.

The greatest benefit from P90X is the years of consultation done by Tony Horton with fitness experts and experimenting with a wide variety of disciplines to find the most effective moves. The 12 different workouts are based on a training concept called periodization, or "muscle confusion." This method of cross-training is achieved through switching the order of exercises and incorporating new moves and varied movements. From my own experience now using the method for the past 4 and half months has prevented my body from adapting to exercises over time and resulting in continual improvement without plateaus.


It has significantly improved my physical fitness in the first 90 days and continues to do so combined with the right nutrition and dietary supplement plan.  I consider myself somewhere between a Striver and a Warrior and it get's better as each week goes by! I am looking forward to the release of P90X2 later this year!



If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Optimal Health Through Nutrition

Your body needs protein, energy-providing carbohydrates, healthy fats and nutrients to reach optimal health.  When we fuel up with the right combinations we can maintain a healthy body weight, support a strong immune system and protect our health for the long-term.  But how do we pack all that wellness into a few meals a day from the foods we purchase at the supermarket? 

Unfortunately, the fresh fruits and veggies we buy have less nutritional value today due to nutrient deficient soil, not ripened on the vine, irradiated and stored for days before eaten.  Our diets may lack the essential building blocks of the foods that are vital  to good health derived from proper nutrition.  So how do I ensure that I'm getting all the nutrition needed for optimal health?  I take supplements.  Whether you're in a state of sickness or considered yourself in top health, you can benefit from nutritional supplementation.  I take them morning and night.  I feel energized when I do.

My supplements help me to start the day out right with my breakfast and fuel my body with nutrients following my daily evening P90X workouts.  These 12 intense training workouts put my body through rigorous exercises.  The supplements help to supply my body with nutrients, minerals and oils that help me to fully recover.  I feel like my post workouts are less tiring and quicker muscle healing, less tenderness and soreness when I take supplements than when I don't.  Its not a scientific measurement.  It's my own personal experience.

Always ask your doctor, a physician or nutritionist for advice before taking supplements.

What supplements to use can depend on several factors such as your weight, gender, the kind of exercise you undertake, your age, etc.  So what I share is what I'm currently adding as a nutritional supplement to an already very clean diet of lean protein, fruits, veggies and healthy fats.
 
1.  Multi-Vitamin/Mutli-Mineral.  I use Dr. Whitakers Forward Plus  taking one packet in the morning and a packet following my workouts.  I highly recommend it and you may benefit from it.

2.  Ginkgo Biloba.  This herb is helpful for middle-aged to older people with increased blood flow to the brain.  Here's an overview from The University of Maryland Medical Center.

3.  Coenzyme Q10.  CoQ10 boosts energy, enhances the immune system, and acts as an antioxidant.  This University of Maryland Medical Center overview has some good information.

4.  Grape Seed Extract.  It's another powerful antioxidant! 

5.  Wild Oil of Oregano.  This herb is known for it's healing value as an anti-inflammatory, anti-pain and anti-viral properties. 

6.  Garlic.  It has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, dating back to when the Egyptian pyramids were built. It is also rich in antioxidants. 

7.  Flaxseed Meal.  This superfood is essential in providing lignans and fibre, plus the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic (ALA). 

8. Bee Pollen granules.  This is one of the richest and purest natural foods ever discovered, and the incredible nutritional and medicinal value of bee pollen has been known for centuries.

In his book BRING IT!, P90X creator Tony Horton has a challenge to take supplements.  His challenge is a simple test.  For 1 week, while eating healthy and exercising, do not take any supplements.  I had to do this before I could do a round of tests for my doctors medical examination.  Then answer 13 questions at the start and end of the week.  At the start of the following week, add back in your supplements to your food and workout routine.  At the end of the second week take the test again and compare and you'll see how supplements make a difference. 

1. I experience sound, restful sleep most nights of the week
2. I have plenty of energy throughout the day
3. I have a healthy and normal appetite with very few cravings
4. I am happy with my present weight
5. I'm enthusiastic about my fitness and have plenty of energy during exercise
6. I'm good at handling stress
7. I'm satisfied with the state of my libido
8. My memory, cognition and mental acuity are good
9. I have good/full range of motion and am not experiencing joint pain
10. My muscles are strong and lean and recover quickly after exercise
11. My heart and lung capacity are strong during cardiovascular exercise
12. I have normal digestion with no stomach or intestinal issues
13. I feel that I am in good mental health, free from sadness, depression and anxiety

Answer all the questions on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being never and 10 always.  Be honest!  How did you do?  Let me know in the comments section of the blog.

If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!.

No Nonsense Foods

Changing how we eat changes everything! The dietary changes I made in the last several months made a huge impact on my health and quality of life. But this change didn't just happen all on its own. No one handed it to me on a silver platter. No amount of praying or pleading brought any miracle. I had to make a conscious effort and become more informed about food choices. If you fail to plan, then plan on failing.

Almost immediately when I began to make smart healthy choices did my obese body start to respond. What were some of the side effects of no nonsense foods? For starters, I began to shed excess weight. In the first 4 weeks of my plan I reduced 17 pounds of excess fat! In the past 4 and half months 57 pounds of excess fat have been lost!  When you eat more fruit and vegetables in their natural whole state, another side effect manifests itself. I began to experience improved digestion and daily elimination. I won't bore you with the gory details, but suffice it to say that it feels great to live each day without stomach pain, without cramping guts and sitting on the throne waiting, pushing, grunting and cursing.

Within a matter of weeks my body started to have increased energy and stamina. No longer pained by the with drawl symptoms of caffeine and sugar, proper nutrition was now giving me a boost. The usual afternoon sleepiness and lack of energy was virtually gone from my daily routine and replaced with achy and sore muscles I didn't even know I had! It even hurt to sit on the toilet my butt cheeks were so sore! I just knew my body was changing for the better. One of my favorite sayings from Tony Horton, the creator of the P90X training program, is "I hate it, but I love it." Wow can I relate to that! I struggled, but I kept pushing play. The no nonsense foods are such a critical part of the plan that I cannot emphasize strongly enough how committed you need to be in order to maximize your investment in yourself.

There are other benefits that I continue to experience, like a sound sleep. I had been diagnosed two years earlier with sleep apnea. My wife didn't get a good nights rest either due to my horrendous snoring. The doctors monitored my sleep patterns by hooking me up to a couple dozen wires. We tested my lung capacities and did a whole bunch of tests. I was told that I could sleep better if I had a special breathing machine called a C-PAP continuous positive airway pressure). I put it off and tried to ignore the issue. I had such excessive daytime sleepiness that I could literally fall asleep within minutes if given the chance. You could say I was a very irritable person to live with. No nonsense foods combined with my daily P90X training quickly began to reverse this disorder. Proper rest and sleep is critical to your health. The old adage early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise, rings true. I still like to sleep in from time to time.

Another amazing side effect of no nonsense food is how you will start to look and feel  much younger!  If you're looking for the fountain of youth, it really does exist, and it exists in proper eating and exercise.  What and how we eat has such an impact on our quality of life and improving our appearance.  I don't want to live with daily pain, discomfort and unhappiness.  It doesn't have to be that way for anyone.  If you're overweight, you may feel many symptoms.  Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about.

• snoring
• headaches
• unrefreshing sleep
• a dry mouth upon awakening
• high blood pressure
• irritability
• depression
• difficulty concentrating
• heartburn
• reduced libido
• insomnia
• frequent nighttime urination 
• restless sleep

When I learned about healthy choices and decided to act on the information by committing myself to doing what needed to be done, only then did I begin to see positive changes.   This isn't a short term plan.  What I'm driving at is a long lasting lifestyle that works with my individual needs and tastes.  When I fuel my body with nutritious no nonsense foods, I reduce or eliminate what holds me back from looking, feeling and functioning at how nature intended my body to work.

Over the course of the last several months I have learned a few lessons along the way.  In future posts I'll address things like how I planned and prepared meals.  When you go grocery shopping, there's a healthy way.  Understanding food labels goes a long ways in making good choices.  When you're educated on food facts, it's much easier to dispel the myths, so I'll try to share and pass along tips and advice that's helped me and will help you too.  When you discover the truth about something, you'll be amazed at how it can truly set you free!  I guarantee you'll lose weight, you'll reshape your body and gain greater health.  

If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Significant Dietary and Lifestyle Changes

Since February 1st, 2011 I have embarked on a journey of health and wellness.   Today I'd like to very briefly share the kind of lifestyle and dietary changes I made and the significant impact it's had on me.

For the past four and a half months I have gone from being an obese individual to a healthy weight.  People who have not seen me in several months are amazed at the transformation.  I am amazed myself.  The question they all predictably ask is, "how did you do it?"  The answer is surprisingly common knowledge, but not commonly practiced. and when it is practiced, it is a struggle for most to maintain the practice.  Even though many people are aware of this knowledge, they fail to take those corrective actions in their life.  I know because I was one of those people who ignored the facts and statistics and didn't know who or where to turn to for help because I really didn't think or believe that I had a problem.

 
We all need food to survive.  Food is instinctively a necessity to maintain and support life.  The moment we are born, we instinctively eat.  Nutrition to a newborn is critical for growth and development.  It should come as no surprise then that nutrition is continuously needed to maintain growth and development of the human body.  Without nutrition, the body begins to show signs and symptoms of weakness and failure.  The body can only withstand so much abuse before it starts to misfire and shutdown.

Eventually I reached the point in my life at the age of 48 where I began to misfire. Thankfully my body wasn't so far gone that it was shutting down.  A 47 inch belly, a 46 inch chest and hips were the result of years of bad habits and a mostly sedentary lifestyle.  Among the bad habits was a dietary plan, not really a plan, but a diet that consisted pretty much of whatever flavors and pleasures appealed to my taste buds and filled what seemed like a bottomless pit in my stomach.  I loved to eat red meat.  I loved to eat fatty foods, french fry's, greasy burgers, milk shakes, sausages, and the list goes on!  I'd come home from a full day of work and want to watch TV or play video games while filling up on pop and chips. When we would go out for dinner, I'd binge at buffet's eating as much as possible to the point where I would literally have to loosen the belt a notch to take the pressure off the belly!  Full to the stomach but still a hunger that went unsatisfied. 

The so-called magic pill does not exist!  There is no magic remedy.  Starvation does not fuel your body with the nutrition it needs.  Over feeding your body with less than nutritious food does not fuel your body to prevent it from misfiring and shutting down.  You reap what you sow!  Bad fuel in equals no power out.  Good fuel in equals high performance.  If you keep on doing what you've been doing, you'll keep on getting the results you've been getting.  Only will a significant dietary and lifestyle change bring results for growth and development.  So at the age of 48, my mind and my heart where ready to decide and commit to such a change.  The rest you could say is history, but history is written in the past and I am writing my future, so this is to my success and lifelong journey with health and wellness!

At the recommendation of a coworker, I was introduced to a training program called P90X.  The periodizational training changes with three training blocks over the course of 90 days and does not require a gym or club membership or any specialized equipment.  The strategy of P90X helped me to stay focused as I exercised right at home in my living room.  Here is the mother of all workouts called Plyometrics, or jump training!

I am now into my second round and 19th week of P90X and I feel great!  My belly has gone down to 36 inches and both my chest and hips are down to 40 inches.  I've lost a total of 57 pounds todate!

No magic pills, no magic cures, no special blend of herbs or spices.  By eating less red meat and more fruits and vegetables together with rigorous daily exercise I have been able to restore my body to peak performance!  No misfires and have significantly reduced my chances of a premature shutdown.  If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!