You Eat Like A Second Grader!

You eat like a 2nd Grader

A repost from the CEO of Beachbody! If you're on the fence on jumping into trying Shakeology, take a look at what Carl says about this new and exciting product!

"You eat like a 2nd grader."
A message from Carl Daikeler, CEO, Beachbody

That's what my wife said to me 3 years ago. She said that if I were going to run a health and fitness company, I had better find a way to eat better, or I would be a dead CEO sooner than I'd like.

Problem is, I don't like vegetables. I really don't like vegetables. And everything I've been reading about them was telling me that even they don't have the antioxidants, prebiotics, and enzymes of some of the exotic foods being harvested from around the world.

So we set out on a mission to create a way for me not only to live up to my wife's request, but surpass it with the most potent whole food ingredients available for health, weight loss, and energy...and we had to make it taste good.

LEARN MORE

The result is Shakeology® , the Healthiest Meal of the Day®. It takes the guesswork out of nutrition for me and simplifies my life.

Just look at the results we got from a 90-day research study, where we replaced one meal per day with Shakeology and saw major improvements in the health of the group.*†

By the end of week 1
- Improved digestion and regularity
- Reduced cravings

By the end of week 4
- Increased energy and stamina
- Lost weight
- Improved mental clarity

By the end of week 12
- Lost 10 pounds and 2 inches off waist on
average
- Reduced risk for heart disease and
other degenerative diseases
- Lowered cholesterol on average by 30% and
even up to 70%
- Healthier skin, hair, and nails

I've been using Shakeology now for over a year, and it is not only my Healthiest Meal of the Day—it's my favorite meal of the day.

And here's my guarantee to you: If you don't feel results in the first 30 days, I want you to have your money back (less shipping and handling). But I hope you really give it a try so you see the benefits I have.

LEARN MORE


Carl Daikeler
CEO, Beachbody

P.S. Choose from Chocolate or Greenberry, and get FREE basic shipping** every month when you choose Home Direct, our monthly autoship program.

__________________________________________________________________

Feel free to check out Shakeology and all the other great products offered by Beachbody by checking out J-Squared Fitness!

Are you looking to buy one of Beachbody's great products for yourself or a loved one?
What about putting it onto your Christmas list?

Well, Beachbody is running some great holiday specials on some of their more well known products!

If you are putting this onto your wish list, be sure to give the person you are giving your list to my Website
J-Squared Fitness!

Give the Gift of Fitness and have yourself a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!!!!!!

Item #: MDP90XDVD2104
P90X DELUXE WITH P90X PLUS - GIFT

FREE GIFT WRAPPING AND FREE S&H*! Besides the P90X Training System, this package includes a month's supply of Results and Recovery Formula?, a delicious shake that helps refuel, reenergize, and reduce muscle soreness after workouts. Also included are three heavy-duty resistance bands to maximize results, and Tony's advanced P90X Plus program to take those P90X workouts to the next level! *S&H is free only with UPS Basic delivery to the U.S. and Canada.

Regular Price: $239.70
Coach Price: $179.78
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INSANITY DELUXE RECOVERY PACKAGE - GIFT

FREE GIFT WRAPPING AND FREE S&H*! In addition to everything in Shaun T's INSANITY program, this package also includes two more extreme workouts?MAX Interval Training and Insane Abs?a 60-day supply of Results and Recovery Formula? to maximize results, and a FREE workout, Upper-Body Weighted Workout. *S&H is free only with UPS Basic delivery to the U.S. and Canada.

Regular Price: $239.70
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Item #: MDSL6DVD2106
SLIM IN 6 SUPER VIDEO PACK - GIFT

FREE GIFT WRAPPING AND FREE S&H*! This super slimming package includes Debbie Siebers' Slim in 6, her advanced Slim Series® program that combines intense cardio with greater resistance, and her Slim Series Express workouts for a lean, sculpted body. *S&H is free only with UPS Basic delivery to the U.S. and Canada.

Regular Price: $119.70
Coach Price: $89.78
Click HERE for more info!

I left the coach price in there for those who've been pondering coaching so that you can see the savings!

You can find out more about the great coaching opportunity by clicking the coach link on my home page located at J-Squared Fitness, or contacting me in these other ways!

508-867-0423
jdfett@msn.com
Facebook: My Profile!

THIS IS SPARTA!

THERMOPYLEA IN ATLANTA!

So this past weekend I was able to attend my yearly convention in Atlanta. Dragon*con is held ever Labor Day weekend and this marked my third year attending.

Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US. For those who may never have been, words can not describe the awesomeness that is Dragon*Con.

I have been involved in the costuming hobby for over 5 years now starting with the 501stNEG, a star wars charity costuming group of over 5000 world wide members! From that group I expanded my interests into movie costumes, constructing movie accurate costumes of Indiana Jones from Raiders, The Punisher, King Leonidas from the 300 and most recently Logan(Wolverine) from the new Origins X-men movie.

The hardest costume for me was the portrayal of the great historical Spartan King.

The cost and construction of the costume wasn't the most expensive or most difficult compared to other costumes like Jango Fett from Star Wars, but because I had to work on myself, my fitness and my actual body, it remains to this day a work in progress!

So brings me back to the past weekend! This year was my second time having the opportunity to portray King Leonidas for my Spartan group, the 300DC. It was bitter sweet because I knew going in that it would be my last mark on the group in this capacity. When first being voted in to represent the group in such a way, I was told the position was mine for the duration until I felt like I did not want it anymore. Such a show of faith in my abilities to keep the course and remain focused with my nutrition and fitness was awe inspiring.

This year I decided that being King for two years was more than adequate, given the company I was in, and I made the decision prior to going to Atlanta to choose a successor. My great friend Eric Scwartzell from Texas accepted my offer and we kept it under our hats till we announced it in front of the group at the meet and greet dinner! It was sad yet also a relief. I really felt an feeling of admiration as I observed a few mouths drop as I first announced my departure from the position. I will never forget the time I had with this group leading the parade and the charge on the Hot Gates of Atlanta. I will be back next year, but as a soldier following the new king!

Thanks to all my friends who trusted me with the group these past two years! And thanks to Eric for being bold enough to take on the challenge of leading such an outstanding group of people!

SPARTANS! WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION????

ARHOOOOO! AHROOOOO! AHROOOOO!

Whats the deal with this Shakeology Stuff?

Shakeology is a new Health shake from Beachbody! It comes in Greenberry or Chocolate flavors.


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


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


Even if you searched all over the world, you probably wouldn't be able to find all of the 70-plus, ultra-high-quality ingredients we've included in Shakeology. Not only do you get a wide range of essential nutrients, from the fruits and vegetables you should be eating more of every day, you'll also get the benefits of important foods from all around the world—foods that the latest scientific research has shown to be highly advantageous to your well-being.

More than 70 different ingredients were chosen from around the world for their potency and bioavailability (the ability to deliver the nutrients your body needs).


Here are the key nutrient groups that these ingredients deliver:

Protein and Essential Amino Acids to help build long, lean muscles and reduce food cravings


Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption


Antioxidants and Phytonutrients to help counteract free radical damage that can lead to degenerative diseases

Vitamins and Minerals your body needs to function for optimal health


A comparison was done comparing Shakeology to Mona Vie. With great results in it's own right, Mona Vie has been know as one of the more healthier shakes on today's market.



By comparison, Shakeology deilvers more nutrients and additional probiotics and costs less!


Click on the picture on the left to see a comparison.




If you are interested in seeing a break down on the actual ingredients in Shakeology, take a look at this nutritional label from the Chocolate version:

For more info on this product and how you can receive an additional 25% off the purchase send me an email at jdfett@msn.com

VOTE FOR ME!

As some may know I won the Million Dollar Body Game's April Monthly prize! It's time now for the quarterly vote. I am going up against 11 other guys for the chance to win $10,000! If I am lucky enough to win this prize I get entered into the yearly finalist spot with a chance to win an additional $25,000!

If you have a moment, feel free to check out the link above. If you are not a forum member goto

http://www.jsquaredfitness.com/ and sign up as a free player and get access to the forums on the beachbody site! you should then be able to cast a vote for me in the contest!

You can see my video from the April win on the right side of this blog!

My current fitness level and progress!

So I figured it was time to really talk up my fitness program of choice. It really is tough to just say the word "program" because it is really a combination of all things I have done in the past.

I first started on my fitness journey with Tony Horton's P90X dvd series. I was way out of shape and really in no condition to even consider tackling the program but I jumped in anyway. I put everything I had into it and always brought myself to pure muscle failure and exhaustion during the workouts. I wanted to make sure that it wouldn't be my fault that the program didn't work. I completed three rounds of that particular program and saw very impressive results.

I then joined up with my Spartan group, 300DC , and we completed a 7 week fitness program found on the GymJones website. Thats me in the center as King Leonidas in 2007 at DragonCon. This particular program was the exact set of exercises that the cast members from the movie, 300, completed over the same 7 week period to attain their fitness levels for the movie. That was real fun and I really learned to have an appreciation for cross-fit stylized workouts. Those types of workouts really had a way of getting you not only to look good, but really increased you fitness level and your stamina. I soon realized that I had found something that reallt struck a chord in me and soon started school. I am currently enrolled in a certification program to become a personal trainer and plan to have it finished by the summer.

Enter P90X+.

Tony Horton and Beachbody then added the plus workout as a followup to P90X. I picked it up when I realized I was getting a bit out of shape. I had been at 201 pounds and about 9% body fat after finishing up the GymJones workouts and had attempted to "bulk up" by increasing my food intake and lifting heavier weights.

It seemed to work but I suffered a lot of my tone and fitness from the regimen and wasn't happy with what was going on. At that point I purchased P90X+, looking for something new to do and hoping that Tony would come through again for me.

I am currently finishing up week 8 of 12 as I post this blog, day 60 of 90. I have dropped back down to 206 from 221 and I actually have musch more lean muscle thanks to the building phase I put myself in. So a good lesson to learn is to take those times to build and then come back to chilsle out the progress. A constant cycle of this should result in a larger and more impressive muscle mass as well as a lean and flexible fitness level.

I won with Beachbody!

So the word is out! I was lucky to be one of the 8 monthy winners in the Million Dollar Body Game sponsored through Team Beachbody! Each month Beachbody gives out $1000 dollars to eight folks who have submitted their fitness stories in the Team Beachbody Club.

There is a male and female winner in 4 different age groups. I won the 40-49 category for the men! As a matter of correction, somehow they stated I was 42 in the lead in video that is posted on the right, however at this time I am only 40 and will be turning 41 in July, I suppose I am almost in my 42nd year though..lol

It's easy to enter, all you need to do is join up with Team Beachbody! You can do that by visiting my homepage at

www.jsquaredfitness.com

and clicking on the "Join the Club".

I started out joining Beachbody at 260 pounds! I was about 35% body fat and generally a mess. With the help of P90X, a high level fitness program with Tony Horton, I was able to shed over 50 pounds and get down to my current body fat level of 10-11%! It was a lot of dedication and hard work and nothing comes easy. You need to work hard, deal with the sweat, pain and lifestyle change. Make the decision, committ to that choice and never jip yourself. When it's time to "Bring It", give all you have and then some, and the rewards can be endless!

Thank you, Tony Horton and Beachbody for changing my life!

Whats in a Calorie?

Have you ever sat back and asked yourself, "I hear about these things called calories but what are they? Where do they come from and should I be concerned which foods I eat to get the calories I need in a given day?"

There is a few things you should know about calories.

First of all you need calories to function. Calories are what the body burns during every function it has, either your heart beating, breathing and all that other good extra stuff known as anaerobic and aerobic exercise! We need a certain number of core calories just to survive and during times of elevated activity our body will consume more and in turn need to be replenished with more to make up the loss we suffered due to the extra activity.

When we talk nutrtion and what is involved in that, we see that there are both energy giving and non-energy giving substances. The ones that give the body energy come from calories derived from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Vitamins, minerals and water make up needed nutrients that do not provide the body energy.

The body get its energy only from the carbohydrated, proteins and fats you consume. When talking strickly calories it matters not where they come from and all are measured the same.

Calorie Counts Per Gram

_____________________________

1 gram carbs=4 calories

1 gram protein=4calories

1 gram of fat=9 calories

1gram alcohol=7 calorie

So does this mean that you can simply toss down a bag of greasy chips? No! Even thought to your body, calories are calories, it will still anaylize and use the calories and the nutrients attached to those calories. There are also many different types of carbohydrates and fats. Even thought they exhibit the same amount of calories per gram they react in different ways in your body.

For example a candy bar and a bowl of oatmeal may have the same number of carbs and calories, but because the candy bar is mostly sucrose or white sugar, it will process faster and only provide energy to the body for short bursts. The oatmeal would deliver a steady stream of energy to the body for hours. Fats are also the same. Some fats are better than others. The fish found in a salmon steak for instance, Omega-3 fatty acids, is said to be good for the heart. A bag of chips is filled with non-essential saturated fats and very little vitamins and minerals will provide very little nutrition to your body.

It is still very important that we pay attention to not just simply counting calories but also checking to see where those calories are coming from. Always go for baked as apposed to fried, keep your food nutrient dense and avoid using foods with useless calories or limited nutritional value.

What's the "skinny" on fats?

This article was taken from the American Heart Associations website!

Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which ones don't is the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease. In addition to the LDL produced naturally by your body, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can also raise blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats appear to not raise LDL cholesterol; some studies suggest they might even help lower LDL cholesterol slightly when eaten as part of a low-saturated and trans-fat diet.

The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee strongly advises these fat guidelines for healthy Americans over age 2:

Limit total fat intake to less than 25–35 percent of your total calories each day;
Limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories;
Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily calories;
The remaining fat should come from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils.

Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day, for most people. If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day.

An Example:

For a sedentary female who is 31–50 years old needs about 2,000 calories each day. Therefore, she should consume less than 16 g saturated fat, less than 2 g trans fat and between 50 and 70 grams of total fat each day (with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils).

Saturated fat

Saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol. Saturated fat is found mostly in foods from animals and some plants. Foods from animals include beef, beef fat, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, milk, cheeses and other dairy products made from whole and 2 percent milk. All of these foods also contain dietary cholesterol. Foods from plants that contain saturated fat include coconut, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil (often called tropical oils), and cocoa butter.

Hydrogenated fat

During food processing, fats may undergo a chemical process called hydrogenation. This is common in margarine and shortening. These fats also raise blood cholesterol. The saturated fat content of margarines and spreads is printed on the package or Nutrition Facts label.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the two unsaturated fats. They're found mainly in many fish, nuts, seeds and oils from plants. Some examples of foods that contain these fats include salmon, trout, herring, avocados, olives, walnuts and liquid vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, safflower, canola, olive and sunflower. (I like using Smart Balance. It has the lowest fat content!)
Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats may help lower your blood cholesterol level when you use them in place of saturated and trans fats. But a moderate intake of all types of fat is best. Keep total fat intake between 25 and 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

Trans-fatty Acids and Hydrogenated Fats

Unsaturated fatty acids can be in one of two shapes — "cis" and "trans." These terms refer to the physical positioning of hydrogen atoms around the carbon chain. The cis form is more common than the trans form. Trans-fatty acids (TFA) are found in small amounts in various animal products such as beef, pork, lamb and the butterfat in butter and milk.

TFA are also formed during the process of hydrogenation, making margarine, shortening, cooking oils and the foods made from them a major source of TFA in the American diet. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils provide about three-fourths of the TFA in the U.S. diet. The trans fat content of foods is printed on the package of the Nutrition Facts label. Keep trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total calories. For example, if you need 2,000 calories a day, you should consume less than 2 grams of trans fat.

Trans-fatty acids are also formed during the process of hydrogenation. "Hydrogenate" means to add hydrogen. When unsaturated fatty acids are hydrogenated, some of the hydrogen atoms are added on opposite sides of the molecule to the already attached hydrogen. Cis double bonds convert to trans double bonds, and the fatty acids become saturated.

Question?

Is butter better than margarine?

Recent studies on the potential cholesterol-raising effects of TFA have raised public concern about the use of margarine and whether other options, including butter, might be a better choice. Some stick margarines contribute more TFA than unhydrogenated oils or other fats.
Because butter is rich in both saturated fat and cholesterol, it's potentially a highly atherogenic food (a food that causes the arteries to be blocked). Most margarine is made from vegetable fat and provides no dietary cholesterol. The more liquid the margarine, i.e., tub or liquid forms, the less hydrogenated it is and the less TFA it contains.

In Summary!

Based on current data, the American Heart Association recommends that consumers follow these tips:

Choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole-grain, high-fiber foods, and fat-free and low-fat dairy most often.

Keep total fat intake between 25 and 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils most often.

Use naturally occurring, unhydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower or olive oil most often.

Look for processed foods made with unhydrogenated oil rather than partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated vegetable oils or saturated fat.

Use soft margarine as a substitute for butter, and choose soft margarines (liquid or tub varieties) over harder stick forms. Look for ”0 g trans fat” on the Nutrition Facts label.

French fries, doughnuts, cookies, crackers, muffins, pies and cakes are examples of foods that are high in trans fat. Don't eat them.

Limit the saturated fat in your diet. If you don't eat a lot of saturated fat, you won't be consuming a lot of trans fat.

Limit commercially fried foods and baked goods made with shortening or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Not only are these foods very high in fat, but that fat is also likely to be very hydrogenated, meaning a lot of trans fat.

Limited fried fast food. Commercial shortening and deep-frying fats will continue to be made by hydrogenation and will contain saturated fat and trans fat.

What is this about Maimum Heart Rates?

So I figured I would clear up a little bit of information regarding the difference between your maximum heart rate and your suggested target heart rate during exercise.

There really is no perfect formula to figure out where you should be and this article is strictly to be used as a guideline only and not as gospel. You should always consult your physician and even schedule an actual stress test if you are looking for as close to a perfect assessment as possible.

In easy terms your maximum heart rate is the beats per minute rate at which your heart should not exceed during strenuous exercise. Your target heart rate, sometimes referred to as your training heart rate, is the rate that your heart beats during aerobic exercise that gives your heart and lungs the most benefit from the exercise being performed. This rate can vary greatly given a person's current fitness level, age and gender.

The average healthy heart beat is between 60-80 beats per minute and tends to increase with age. Also the more physically fit you are the lower this will be. This allows the heart to save up energy for the times it is performing at higher rates during aerobic exercise. By lowering it's heart rate, the heart is saving up reserves for the times it is stressed and needs the extra power to handle the demand of strenuous activity. So if you are a sedentary person, your resting rate may be a lot higher than an Olympic athlete.

As stated before the most accurate way to determine one's MHR(maximum heart rate) is with a stress test. This is usually given at a sports medicine clinic or doctor's office. The subject will be hooked to an EKG and have their heart monitored during strenuous exercise performed on a treadmill. There are some guidelines to get you started, however, and I listed the most common method for determining you MHR below.

The most common formula not allowing for any variation :

MHR = 220 − age

Although no "acceptable" formula currently exists, the most widely used at the current time that allows for the prediction of VO2max(the maximum capacity of an individuals body to transport and utilize oxygen during exercise, reflecting the physical fitness of the individual.) and for figuring out training heart rates

The best formula of those examined to date is:

MHR = 205.8 − (0.685 × age)

Other things you must know is the target heart rates as well as your recovery rates. This additional information will help you determine your level of fitness and help you make the correct personal assessments when performing higher intensity workouts.

Your recovery heart rate is the heart rate measured at a known period after stopping your activity. It is usually measured one minute after your activity has stopped. The faster your heart returns to the your resting rate prior to the exercise the healthier and stronger your heart is. I always suggest you take the rate over the period of one minute intervals and see how it drop in a three minute time period, recording at each minute passed.

Your target heart rate (THR) is the rate that you should be shooting for during the continued activity to give your heart and lungs the most benefit from the aerobic exercise being performed. This range varies based on your current fitness level, age and even gender.

I've listed below the Karvonen method of calculating you THR. Intensity of the workout is considered when using this formula. You also need to determine as accurate as possible MHR to use this formula. The THR can be calculated by using a range of 50%–85% intensity.

The Karvonen method factors in Resting Heart Rate (HRrest) to calculate Target Heart Rate (THR):

THR = ((HRmax − HRrest) × %Intensity) + HRrest
Example for someone with a HRmax of 180 and a HRrest of 70:50% intensity: ((180 − 70) × 0.50) + 70 = 125 bpm85% intensity: ((180 − 70) × 0.85) + 70 = 163 bpm

There are many great heart rate monitors you can purchase that will help you determine your ongoing rate during your workouts, some that you need to place you fingers on two buttons and some that measure it consistently and continue to assess the rate during your entire workout. If you can not afford one you can take your own pulse rate at the radial or wrist location for ten seconds and multiply the result by 6.

Again...always listen you your body, not your mind, as your mind will always quit long before your body does!

Calories In = Calories Out

Just wanted to share a nutrition concept.

Most people who are looking to lose weight think the answer is a lower calorie, starve myself diet. What they are really doing is setting themselves up for not only failure but a relapse. How many times have we "dieted" only to give up and put more all the weight and then some back on?

So, why is that we can lose so much weight so fast on this concept of basically starving ourselves, only to regain the weight, sometimes only "eating what everyone else is"?

The body is comprised of two main elements. Fat and lean muscle. We all want to get rid of the fat because that's what makes us not only look, well, fat, but also is the contributor to so many health problems. Here is the nuts and bolts of why this happens.

When we starve ourselves in an attempt to lose weight, or even inadvertently by just not making the time to eat, we end up starving the muscles in our bodies as well. When the body thinks it isn't getting enough food, it will go into a protective mode and begin storing everything it can. This is why when you diet by drastically lowering you caloric intake, it works for a few weeks then stalls. At that point you are given a choice, give up and gain the weight back or drop the calories even more to regain more weight loss.

As soon as you decide to drop the calories even more, your metabolism, the fiery furnace inside your body, slows even more. Your body then begins to take away lean muscle for fuel, saving the stored fat for protection. You may lose more weight, but it won't be from fat loss! Think of your metabolism like a wood stove. If you don't frequently add fuel(wood), the fire will eventually go out. Food is our fuel and it needs to be continually added to our wood stove to keep the fire burning. At the same token, if we overload our stove with too much fuel at once it can also have a adverse effect on how hot the fire burns.

So we end up in an endless cycle. As we lower our calories in drastic measures, we in turn lower the metabolism. This will cause the body to store everything and then take from our bodies the energy it needs to survive, robbing from lean muscle. When our muscle mass shrinks, our metabolism slows even more. Remember, the more lean muscle we have, the more we burn fat. Larger muscle require more energy, thus burn more calories.

In order to achieve a successful nutrition plan you must base it on calorie deficits. This means the calories you burn each day must be more than the calories you consume. This is done one of two ways. Either lower the calories you take in, something we see ends the wrong way, or increase the amount of calories you burn each day.

No one ever said being in shape and having a healthy lifestyle was easy. There is hard work involved. But what are the rewards? Remember to eat healthy foods, divide your food intake into 6 periods of consumption throughout the day, exercise regularly and stay off the scale. You can lose fat without actually losing weight. Muscle takes up a third of the space on our body as the same weight in fat. You may even gain a few pounds at first but remember, as the muscles get bigger and stronger, they become fat fighting machines. Soon you will be able to eat more and not gain weight, your metabolism will raise and you will exceed any fitness goals you may have set for yourself.

A good guideline to setting yourself up is to figure out what best suits you for your age, current weight and body fat percentage. There are plenty of good online calculators for determining your current caloric needs for maintenance. Once you find that out, implement and exercise plan, and get yourself in a calorie deficit. You should shoot for 15-20% lower calories than your maintenance level. This is a small deficit but the weight you loose will be close to 100% fat loss and your lean muscle will remain intact. The American College of Sports Medicine states that the minimum caloric intake for women should never drop below 1200 per day, men 1800. They also stated that a caloric deficit should never go further than 1000 calories. Another thing to remember is one pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories per week. If your maintenance calories are 2500 per day and you drop it by 500 per day, you will lose about 3500 calories in the week, thus one pound of fat.

So get on track. Get a fitness plan. Start out small and work up but get that needed extra exercise. Even if it is a half hour brisk walk around the block, do something! Find your maintenance level for your caloric intake, and get into a small deficit and watch that fat melt off you. Remember it is a process. To quote Tony Horton, "Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is your body!"

Here is a good online free calculator to help you.
Calorie Calculator

Feel free to stop by my website and see what programs can work for you!
J-Squared Fitness


One last thing...this is only a guideline. What may work for some may not work for others. I in no way claim to be a medical professional nor do I claim to have all the answers. Always consult you doctor before going on any program and be sure you are doing what works for you.

Today was week 3 Day 2 in my current workout format using Beachbody's P90X+ with Tony Horton. This program is designed to be used after familiarizing yourself with the original P90X program. I personally have gone through 2 cycles of the P90X program and for about the last couple months have been doing rigorous training following cross-fit stylized workouts as well as some heavier power lifting.

Just recently, as stated this being week 3, have I begun the P90X+ regimen and to say the least it delivers. I enjoy it because it seems to be designed more toward a cross-fit mentality, something I really enjoy. I have also begun using the awesome fitness and nutrition guide that somes along with the Club Membership with Beachbody.

Sure..you can sign on as a free player and enter to win in WOWY, the online super gym that pays you back for basically working out. What monthy dues at any other guym gives you that opportunity? I think to get the most out of your club membership you should sign up for full membership. You get to hear great trainer tips from the Beachbody trainers including Tony Horton, as well as a ton of fitness and nutrition information that is not offered as a fre player.

Don't delay...sign up now by going here

Join a community of like minded people looking to improve their health and fitness and become accountible for your own with the support of friends and coaches who want to see you succeed!

This is my first blog to this area. This blog is intended to be a place where I record my continued progress and dedication to living a healthy lifestyle.

I have been actively using Beachbody products to help me succeed for close to two years at the time of this post and just recently decided to become an Independant Beachbody Coach so I could try and help others find the vision and determination to succeed.

I am currently enrolled in a Certified Personal Trainer Program and will be certified through NCSF upon my completion of the program. I hope that I can help you become who you want to be and bring happiness to you in the way of a nea healthy lifestyle!

Please do not be afraid to reach me by sending me an email at jdfett@msn.com or giving me a call at (508)423-9829. Visit my website for all your Beachbody needs at www.jsquaredfitness.com and I look forward to bringing you a new outlook on life and the meaning of truly living happy!

With HEalth and complete fitness you can accomplish anything!