So today is Halloween, and you guessed it, CANDY is all around us!  So how are you going to keep from completely destroying yourself?  Enjoy this article by Stephanie Saunders, and you might pick up a couple tricks for surviving Halloween,  and as a result maybe save yourself from a few treats!

Halloween Treats: How Your Diet Can Survive This Scary Holiday

Halloween. A holiday that puts joy into the hearts of children and terror into the hearts of dieters. Is it the result of the tiny little costumes we are supposed to be wearing or the abundance of junk food that infiltrates our lives? Perhaps a little of each. Also, it might be that Halloween is the gateway holiday to dieting disaster. For many of us, it begins with trick-or-treat, and finally ends with a New Year’s Day hangover and five extra pounds. Since avoiding sugary goodness for three months is virtually impossible, how can you approach the weeks of mini-candy bars, Halloween parties, and alcohol-abounding punch? Here are some “tricks” that might actually keep Halloween Horror in the movies, and off of your thighs.

1. Make wise choices. We’ve already established that you will probably not avoid all contact with candy this holiday, so know exactly what you are choosing when you reach into that jack-o’-lantern. One mini-candy bar has around 80 calories in it, between 3 and 5 grams of fat, and is so small that just one would not satisfy 99 percent of the population. Some wiser choices, for around 50 calories, include:

• Two Hershey’s Kisses
• Two Dum-Dum lollipops
• Three Mini-Tootsie Rolls
• One Nerds mini-box
• Ten pieces of candy corn
• Two small Laffy Taffys
• Two Jolly Ranchers
• One Junior Mints mini-box
• One Mike-n-Ike mini-box
• One small York Peppermint Patty

We realize that the difference between 50 to 80 calories seems rather negligible, but as most of us might indulge in more than one serving over the holiday, those calories can really add up.

2. Eat before attending a party. This is an age-old dieting trick, but one that is extremely effective. It is tempting to indulge in sweet treats when faced with a table full of them. It is even worse when you haven’t eaten since lunch and your workout has left you completely depleted. Consuming a healthy meal, snack, or even a meal replacement like Shakeology® can keep hunger at bay and your hands off the devil’s food cake.

3. Choose a costume that shows off your accomplishments. There is a belief that Halloween is an excuse for women to dress inappropriately, and for men to show off their muscles. And why not? This is in no way a suggestion that you attend an event in a Speedo or bikini, but something a little sexy, in a safe environment, that shows off all of your hours with P90X® can be the perfect motivation to avoid overeating. Most of us respond better to short-term, tangible goals, and wearing the Spider-Man costume without the built-in abs is certainly attainable. So be a little daring one night, and save the costume for future motivation.

4. Work out before attending an event. Many studies have been done that conclude we tend to eat less, and absorb less of the bad stuff when we do, after a good workout. Also, the rush of endorphins tends to make us a bit happier, which means we don’t seek joy in the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. A really intense INSANITY™ workout just before the big party might save you countless more to undo the damage.

5. Avoid the punch bowl. For some reason, there is always a bowl of sherbet-stuffed punch around at Halloween. Perhaps it is the festive orange color, or the fact it mixes nicely with vodka? Regardless, run in the opposite direction. One serving can equal a couple hundred calories and send your blood sugar levels through the roof. Always stick to beverages that you can determine a calorie count for, and preferably, those that have few or no calories.

6. Try the “two-to-one” theory. When out on the town, my friends and I used to employ the strategy that for every alcoholic beverage we consumed, we had to follow it up with two glasses of water. Why not try this for sugary snacks at parties? For every mini-candy bar you consume, follow it up with two veggies off of the crudités tray. All of the fiber will help fill you up fast, and following up a Milky Way with broccoli is really not so appealing. It could help you eat less, or maybe just stick to the broccoli.

7. Host your own event. If you simply can’t say no to Halloween goodies at a party, host your own and take control of what is on the table. Low-fat brownies, cookies, and even cakes taste incredibly similar to the full-fat version, but will leave less residual damage. Choose from the selection of candies we suggested above, serve air-popped popcorn, and make a light punch with diet sherbet that everyone will enjoy. And don’t forget the fruit and veggie platters. Also, taking the focus off food with a scary movie or some fun games can often make the party much more enjoyable. After all, we stand around, talk to people, and eat every day. Why not try to make your event a little bit different?

8. Get rid of the evidence. For those of you who hate to waste, this might be a difficult one. But however you do it, get rid of ALL of the trick-or-treat candy the following day. If you work in an office, set it out in the lunchroom. If you work from home, anonymously mail it to your high school enemy. It is too hard to say no to a bowl of Snickers bars, especially after a rough day, if they are sitting in a cabinet calling your name. Most of us will not get in a car to go buy candy, but if it is there, we will eat it. Just get it out of the house as quickly as you can.

9. Don’t forget the parents. When you’re handing out treats on trick-or-treat night, it’s a great time to treat some of the parents in your neighborhood with a packet of Shakeology® or a P90X Peak Performance Protein Bar to give them the energy for a long night of going door to door with their little goblins. Then you can wish them a Happy Health-oween!

Halloween is only one night, so don’t make it your gateway to a gluttonous holiday season. Instead, use it as a motivator for looking great! Holidays can be the very best time of the year, even on a diet and fitness plan. Just remember how it will feel when, at that Christmas party, everyone comments on how great you look. That will make any holiday seem a lot less frightening.

P90X Plus or ChaLEAN Extreme Deluxe Giveaway! $60 value!

Extremely-Fit is always looking for ways to help you get fit and stay fit! If you would like a chance to win either P90X Plus or ChaLEAN Extreme Deluxe DVDs, it’s EASY!

To be eligible for a chance to win in our drawing, simply visit our  brand-new Team Beachbody Coach website at http://www.freefitnesscoach.com

Feel free to browse the website, but before you leave, click on JOIN. There are two memberships: A club membership, and a FREE membership. You can get a chance to win by signing up for either membership account. Once registered, you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win a program of your choice. If you are the lucky winner, you will get your choice of either P90X Plus or ChaLEAN Extreme Deluxe DVDs.

After you register, email me at robert@extremely-fit.com your first and last name, from an email account you check often! If you win, that’s the email I will use to contact if you , should you win!

The drawing will be held and a winner will be announced on the November 19, 2009!  The last chance to enter the drawing is November 18, 2009.

(Beachbody coaches are not eligible. If you are a current customer of mine, email me, and let me know, and you can still have a chance to win!)

I think that adults, as well as children, have a hard time wanting to eat healthy.  For some reason, we all think that healthy food must taste bad.  This isn’t always the truth.  But, if you or someone else in your home is a picky eater, or has an aversion to healthy food, check out this article by Beachbody’s Denis Faye.

Self-Sneaking: How to Trick Yourself into Eating Healthy Food
By Denis Faye

In a perfect world, countries would stop fighting, cars would emit rose-scented oxygen, and broccoli would taste like chocolate cake. Sadly, that’s not the case. But there’s always hope. Beachbody® may not be able to stop wars or global warming (yet), but we can certainly give you a few tips on getting your veggies to taste better. It’s easier than you think.

There are a number of books on the subject of sneaking healthy foods to kids, including a few The Sneaky Chef titles and Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food. Basically, the same principles you’ll find in these books apply to grown-ups. The only difference is your mind-set. Given that you’ll be doing the cooking, you won’t really be sneaking healthy foods into meals; you’ll just be altering healthy foods to suit your tastes.

There are other easy ways to make sure you get your veggies, including taking green nutritional supplements and drinking everyone’s favorite prebiotic, micronutrient-packed drink, Shakeology®, but remember that most healthy diets are supposed to be primarily made up of fruits and veggies. If you can drink your Shakeology and sneak a couple servings of cauliflower into your Texas chili, you’ll be in great shape.

The goop

The gist of the aforementioned cookbooks is simply to steam veggies for 10 to 15 minutes, throw them in a blender or food processor with a couple tablespoons of water, and puree them into a fine goop. Then you introduce the goop into foods that overwhelm its flavor. It’s that easy.

Although the books offer a near-infinite variety of goops, I’m going to boil it down, so to speak, to two goops.

• White goop. Most of the time, this is cauliflower, although some people try a little zucchini in there. It’s the most flavorless of the goops, and it’s ideal to mix into anything with a cream- or cheese-based sauce, such as pasta Alfredo or mac ‘n cheese.

• Green goop. Anything green can go into green goop, but I find broccoli and spinach work best. Green goop works well with red or reddish sauces, such as chili, marinara, or pizza sauce. You can also throw a massive layer into lasagna or manicotti and be none-the-wiser, yet all the healthier. I’ve never tried it in enchiladas, but I’m guessing it’ll work there too.

• Bonus: goop recipe. Pesto is incredibly easy to make from scratch and impresses the pants off of anyone who doesn’t know how to make it. And the best thing about it is that its rich, complex flavor makes it easy to tweak, so that you can sneak a little healthiness in the form of iron-packed spinach to your unsuspecting dinner guests.

1-1/2 cups basil, packed
1-1/2 cups spinach, packed
1/3 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Directions: Mix them into a paste with a food processor or blender. Done.

The split

If you’ve eaten enriched flour pasta and white rice your whole life, it’s understandable that brown rice and whole wheat pasta would taste weird. After all, brown rice and whole wheat pastas have flavor!

The solution is simple. Make a 50/50 mix. It’s half as healthy, but it also tastes half as different. Once you’re used to that, cut the white out and go 100 percent brown. You’ll never look back.

Bonus Split Tip! Next time you make mashed potatoes, go half potato/half yam or sweet potato. You’ll be adding flavor, which means less need for salt and butter. Also, you’ll be adding the fiber that, especially if you don’t like veggies, you’re probably not getting enough of.

Miscellaneous strategies

While all the above stuff works great for fussy eaters young and old, keep in mind that at your age techniques for sneaking in healthy food shouldn’t always have to be so covert. Here are a few ideas that are slightly less sneaky but effective nonetheless. You’ll be adding a very subtle taste to a strong, rich food.

• Carrot juice in your apple juice. The former doesn’t taste nearly as strong as the latter, but it packs a nutritional wallop that includes vitamins A and C, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

• Broccoli in your burger. Shred the little florets on top and mix them into the meat. Yeah, you might still see them floating around, but after piling on the lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle, mustard, or whatever else you add, you’re just not going to taste them.

• Whole wheat French toast. Yes, this might change the texture, but who eats French toast for the toast part? Your taste buds will be so busy dancing with the fresh fruit and syrup you put on top that they won’t have time for to notice the fibrous, nutritious whole grains you’re sneaking in.

No, we don’t live in a perfect world. Pollution is a bummer, and there will probably always be countries that just can’t seem to coexist on the same planet. But there’s no reason why, with a little effort and a few tricks, nutritious and delicious can’t live together happily on the same plate.

I love to lift weights. It makes you stronger, it makes you leaner. I ran across this article by Beachbody’s Whitney Provost that gives some excellent reasons why we women should be slinging weights.

10 Reasons Why Women Need to Lift Weights
By Whitney Provost

Many women believe that the only way to lose weight is to do cardiovascular (aerobic exercise). So they jog or take aerobics classes five times a week. Eventually, though, they notice that while their bodies are a little smaller, there are still a lot of flabby and jiggly bits. Sound familiar? Aerobic exercise is important for good health, but it’s only half of the equation. Keep reading for the other half.

For optimal fitness, longevity, and a lean body, weight training is essential. If you avoid pumping iron because you’re afraid of getting “bulky,” then you’re missing out on one of the best fat-burning methods around.

When you’re weight training, you shouldn’t rely exclusively on the scale to gauge your progress. You can use a body fat tester or a tape measure to track how many inches you’re losing. The size of your body will shrink as you shed fat and build muscle, but your weight may not change as dramatically as you expect. Besides, what’s more important, the number on the scale or how you look in your skinny jeans?

If you’re still not convinced that you need to lift weights, here are 10 reasons why you should reconsider.

Burn more fat. Researchers at Tufts University found that when overweight women lifted heavy weights twice a week, they lost an average of 14.6 pounds of fat and gained 1.4 pounds of muscle. The control group, women who dieted but didn’t lift weights, lost only 9.2 pounds of fat and gained no muscle. When you do an intense weight-training program such as ChaLEAN Extreme®, your metabolism stays elevated and you continue to burn fat for several hours afterward. During regular cardio exercise, you stop burning fat shortly after the workout.

Change your body shape. You may think your genes determine how you look. That’s not necessarily true. Weight training can slim you down, create new curves, and help avoid the “middle-age spread.” Just look at the amazing body transformations of the women who’ve completed P90X®. Dropping only 3 percent of your body fat could translate into a total loss of 3 inches off your hips and thighs. And no, you won’t bulk up—women don’t have enough muscle-building hormones to gain a lot of mass like men do. If you keep your diet clean and create a calorie deficit, you’ll burn fat.

Boost your metabolism. The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism will be. As women age, they lose muscle at increasing rates, especially after the age of 40. When you diet without doing resistance training, up to 25 percent of the weight loss may be muscle loss. Weight training while dieting can help you preserve and even rebuild muscle fibers. The more lean mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be and the more calories you’ll burn all day long.

Get stronger and more confident. Lifting weights increases functional fitness, which makes everyday tasks such as carrying children, lifting grocery bags, and picking up heavy suitcases much easier. According to the Mayo Clinic, regular weight training can make you 50 percent stronger in 6 months. Being strong is also empowering. Not only does it improve your physical activities, it builds emotional strength by boosting self-esteem and confidence.

Build strong bones. It’s been well documented that women need to do weight-bearing exercise to build and maintain bone mass, and prevent osteoporosis. Just as muscles get stronger and bigger with use, so do bones when they’re made to bear weight. Stronger bones and increased muscle mass also lead to better flexibility and balance, which is especially important for women as they age.

Fight depression. You’ve probably heard that cardio and low-impact exercises such as yoga help alleviate depression, and weight lifting has the same effect. The endorphins that are released during aerobic activities are also present during resistance training. Many women find that regular strength training, in conjunction with psychological treatment, helps lessen their depression symptoms substantially.

Improve sports fitness. You don’t have to be an athlete to get the sports benefit of weight training. Improved muscle mass and strength will help you in all physical activities, whether it’s bicycling with the family, swimming, golfing, or skiing . . . whatever sport you enjoy.

Reduce injuries and arthritis. Weight lifting improves joint stability and builds stronger ligaments and tendons. Training safely and with proper form can help decrease the likelihood of injuries in your daily life. It can also improve physical function in people with arthritis. A study conducted at the University of Wales in Bangor, United Kingdom, found that mildly disabled participants who lifted weights for 12 weeks increased the frequency and intensity at which they could work, with less pain and increased range of movement.

Heart health. More than 480,000 women die from cardiovascular disease each year, making it the number-one killer of women over the age of 25. Most people don’t realize that pumping iron can also keep your heart pumping. Lifting weights increases your “good” (HDL) cholesterol and decreases your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. It also lowers your blood pressure. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that people who do 30 minutes of weight lifting each week have a 23 percent reduced risk of developing heart disease compared to those who don’t lift weights.

Defend against diabetes. In addition to keeping your ticker strong, weight training can improve glucose utilization (the way your body processes sugar) by as much as 23 percent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 weeks of strength training can improve glucose metabolism in a way that is comparable to taking diabetes medication. The more lean mass you have, the more efficient your body is at removing glucose from the blood, which can reduce complications from diabetes or even help prevent type 2 diabetes in the first place.

I recently graduated Insanity, and prior to that P90X (several times), One on One with Tony Horton, and ChaLEAN Extreme. I’m always on the lookout for a way to “spice” up my workouts. Tony Horton always says that “Variety is the Spice of Life”. Taking that advice to heart, here is a rotation which combines Insanity with Tony Horton’s One on One. If you don’t have Tony Horton’s One on One, you need to check it out! You can buy them one at a time, which is cool, and you can pick and choose the ones you think you would like best. Follow this link to read the descriptions and watch videos of the various One on One workouts.

The One on One and Insanity hybrid was provided to me by Mark Briggs. However, I have had numerous requests for a rotation using P90X and Insanity. Below you will find the 12 week rotation. In parenthesis, you will find a P90X substitute for the One on One. Feel free to tweak the workout to suit your needs. In fact, I you may want to switch P90X Plyo for the P90X Legs & Back. Get creative! The idea is to keep things interesting, prevent boredom, avoid plateaus, and add variety.

This hybrid assumes you have access to at least the basic Insanity program, and EITHER P90X or One on One. As you add the One on One workouts to your fitness library, you get even more options! Have fun!

The One On One / Insanity Hybrid

Week 1

1. Thirty Fifteen (P90X Chest & Back)
2. Pure Cardio & Killer Abs (Pure Cardio and P90X Ab Ripper X)
3. Mammoth UML (P90X Core Synergistics)
4. Patience Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
5. Max Interval Sports Training (Insanity Max Cardio Plyo)
6. Core Cardio and Balance
7. Rest Day

Week 2

1. Core Ball Sandwich (P90X Chest & Back)
2. Plyo Cardio Circuit
3. Just Arms & Cardio Abs (P90X Shoulders & Arms)
4. Fountain of Youth Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
5. Max Interval Circuit
6. One on One Cardio Intervals (P90X Kenpo X)
7. Rest Day

Week 3

1. Road Warrior (P90X Core Synergistics)
2. Cardio Power and Resistance
3. Insane Abs and Killer Abs (Ab Ripper X and Cardio Abs)
4. Recovery 4 Results (P90X Stretch)
5. Max Cardio Conditioning
6. Bun Shaper (P90X Plyometrics)
7. Rest Day

Week 4

1. Fountain Of Youth Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
2. Core Cardio and Balance
3. Patience Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
4. Medicine Ball Core Cardio (P90X Kenpo X)
5. Recovery 4 Results (P90X Stretch)
6. Cardio Recovery
7. Rest Day

Week 5

1. Plyo Legs (P90X Plyometrics)
2. Plyo Cardio Circuit and Cardio Abs
3. Diamond Delts (P90X Chest and Back)
4. Patience Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
5. Max Cardio Conditioning
6. Just Arms (P90X Shoulders & Arms)
7. Rest Day

Week 6

1. Core Ball Sandwich (P90X Chest and Back)
2. Pure Cardio and Killer Abs (Ab Ripper X)
3. Cardio 5-6 Plus (P90X Kenpo X)
4. Fountain Of Youth Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
5. Max Interval Sports Training (Insanity Max Cardio Plyo)
6. Bun Shaper (P90X Plyometrics)
7. Rest Day

Week 7

1. Thirty Fifteen (P90X Chest and Back)
2. Core Cardio and Balance
3. Just Arms and Killer Abs (P90X Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X)
4. Patience Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
5. Mammoth UML (P90X Core Synergistics)
6. Max Recovery
7. Rest Day

Week 8

1. Fountain Of Youth Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
2. Core Cardio and Balance
3. Patience Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
4. Medicine Ball Core Cardio (P90X Kenpo X)
5. Recovery 4 Results (P90X Stretch)
6. Cardio Recovery
7. Rest Day

Week 9

1. Core Ball Sandwich (P90X Chest and Back)
2. Max Interval Plyo and Cardio Abs
3. Just Arms (P90X Shoulders and Arms)
4. Max Recovery
5. Bun Shaper and Killer Abs (P90X Plyo and Ab Ripper X)
6. Max Interval Sports Training (Insanity Max Cardio Plyo)
7. Rest Day

Week 10

1. Plyo Legs (P90X Plyometrics)
2. Max Interval Circuit and Cardio Abs
3. Thirty Fifteen (P90X Chest and Back)
4. Patience Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
5. Max Interval Sports Training (Insanity Max Cardio Plyo)
6. Cardio Intervals and Killer Abs (P90X Kenpo X and Ab Ripper X)
7. Rest Day

Week 11

1. Killer Abs and Insane Abs (Ab Ripper X and Cardio Abs)
2. Max Interval Sports Training (Insanity Max Cardio Plyo)
3. Cardio 5-6 Plus and Cardio Abs (Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs)
4. Max Recovery
5. Core Ball Sandwich and Killer Abs (P90X Chest and Back and Ab Ripper X)
6. Max Cardio Conditioning
7. Rest Day

Week 12

1. Fountain Of Youth Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
2. Core Cardio and Balance
3. Patience Yoga (1st 45 minutes of P90X Yoga)
4. Medicine Ball Core Cardio (P90X Core Synergistics)
5. Recovery 4 Results (P90X Stretch)
6. Cardio Recovery
7. Rest Day

Reveal your six-pack! with Rev Abs! RevAbs is specifically designed to burn off the belly fat and give you a six-pack. In just 90 days.

Rev Abs with Brett Hoebel

Why is RevAbs so effective?

Abcentrics – Brett’s proven training technique—works your abs from 6 different angles, not just one or two. And Brett shows you how to Fire Your Abs and engage your abdominal muscles during every rep of every exercise. You make every move count and get a RevAbs result: the abs you’ve always wanted—FAST! Plus you get nutrition, motivation, and all the tools you need to rev up your results.

Abcentrics™ and How to Capoeira With Abcentrics, you learn how to Fire Your Abs to get maximum results. In How to Capoeira, Brett teaches you his favorite moves from this unique Brazilian martial art. (approx. 35 min.)
Fire Up Your Abs Intervals of calorie-scorching cardio combined with Brett’s Six-Pack moves, his signature ab circuit that works your core from 6 different angles for 6 times the results. (approx. 40 min.)
Power Intervals High-intensity cardio with intervals of lower-body resistance moves proven to rev up your metabolism. Melts belly fat, sculpts lean legs, firms the glutes, and works your abs—all at the same time. (approx. 30 min.)
Total Strength and Mercy Abs If you want to get rid of ab flab, you’ve got to work all your muscles. They’re your best friends in the fight against fat. (approx. 45 min.) Mercy Abs The mightiest little ab workout you’ll ever experience. (approx. 15 min.)
Fat Burning Abs A fired-up routine of new ab and cardio combinations that lives up to its name. (approx. 40 min.)
Power Intervals 2 Lower-body resistance moves and revved-up cardio to kick booty and blowtorch belly fat. (approx. 30 min.)
Strength and Endurance Rock-hard abs, meet rock-hard body. This total-body workout gives you the definition you’ve been looking for in your abs and everywhere else. (approx. 40 min.) Merciless Abs A 15-minute ab-shredder that makes your abs pop. Now that’s what you want to see in the mirror. (approx. 15 min.)

Rev up your results RevGuide Easy to read, this tight little guide spells out the whole program, so you can get the most out of your 90-day ab transformation. Plus, you get Brett’s tips to win the battle of the bulge. Nutrition Guide Get the fuel you need to Fire Your Abs. This 65-page nutrition guide comes with customizable, delicious, and easy-to-prepare meal plans for men and women. It also includes Brett’s 14-day Jump-Start Plan. It’s so effective, you’re guaranteed to lose 10 pounds and a whole size in the first 2 weeks or your money back.

4 bonus gifts to keep you motivated Rev It Up Cardio No more boring treadmill cardio. This workout is spiced with Capoeira moves to burn the fat off your abs and your entire body. (approx. 30 min.) Anytime, Anywhere Abs On the road or can’t get to your TV? Take this workout anywhere and do it anytime. It only takes 5 minutes. RevAbs Wall Calendar More than inspiration, it tells you which workout to do each day for maximum results and makes it easy to keep track of your progress. Professional Fat Caliper The perfect tool to measure your body fat before and after your transformation. See if you can pinch an inch after 90 days!

	Plus, FREE Online Support FREE 24-hour access to the RevAbs Web site, where you can chat with Brett and other fitness experts, and meet other RevAbs customers!

Ready to see some RevAbs Results!

When it comes to weight loss, the scale can be a good measure of progress, particularly if you have a lot of weight to lose. But if you place too much emphasis on your weight and not enough on your body composition (the ratio of fat to lean muscle), you’re only getting half the story. Plus, dreading your weigh-in or obsessing over the number on the scale is unproductive and can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as bingeing or starving yourself. Losing pounds doesn’t always mean losing fat. Here’s why the scale can be misleading.

Article written by Whitney Provost

The scale doesn’t tell you how much fat you have. Your scale does exactly what it’s supposed to—it tells you how much you weigh. But in addition to measuring your weight, the scale weighs bone, water, muscle, organs, and undigested food. When the number on the scale goes up or down, it doesn’t represent only fat loss or muscle gain. It measures fluctuations in glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and water, and it even measures how much that breakfast you ate weighs.

You may wonder about scales that claim to measure your body fat. These send small electrical currents up one leg, through your pelvis, and down the other leg to determine your body’s density. Then a formula is used to estimate your body fat. The problem with these scales is that they’re notoriously inaccurate. However, they are usually consistent in their readings, so they can be helpful as a measuring tool. Even though the body fat reading might be off by as much as 5 or 10 percent, if the number trends downward over time, you know you’re on the right track.

The scale can’t tell if you’ve gained muscle. A pound of muscle is like a brick, small and compact. A pound of fat is like a fluffy feather pillow, bulky and lumpy. When you gain muscle and lose fat, your body gets smaller and tighter. Building muscle also makes it possible to drop clothing sizes without a big change in weight. Perhaps after a 90-day fitness program, the scale says you lost 7 pounds, which may not sound like much. But what if you actually lost 12 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle? That’s a remarkable improvement in your body composition, but you wouldn’t know it if you only used your regular bathroom scale to track your progress.

You didn’t really gain 5 pounds of fat overnight. You may step on the scale one morning and shriek in disbelief because the number is five digits higher than it was the day before. Stop panicking. Unless you ate an extra 17,500 calories the previous day, you didn’t gain fat (a pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories). Your scale is registering water, stored carbohydrates, and food. Also, cheap bathroom scales may have measurement errors, giving slightly different readings even when you’re at exactly the same weight.

Your body’s water levels are constantly changing. The scale can move up or down depending on how much water you drink, how much salt you consume, how much you sweat, and how many carbohydrates you eat. An average person can see a daily fluctuation in water weight of about 2 pounds, without any changes to diet or exercise habits. These fluctuations do not signify fat loss, and watching the scale move up and down every day can be frustrating for many dieters.

If you’re trying to achieve a healthy weight and improve the way you look, you should focus less on what the scale says and more on developing the good habits that will produce results. To get lean and strong, with low body fat and nice muscle tone, there are three things you should do:

1.  Cardio plus weight lifting (or other resistance training). Cardio workouts raise your heart rate to help you improve your fitness level, burn calories, and shed fat. Resistance training builds muscle, which boosts your metabolism and helps you burn even more calories. Fitness programs like P90X, ChaLEAN Extreme, and RevAbs all use cardio plus resistance training to improve muscle mass and burn fat.

2. Healthy diet. No matter how much you exercise, you’ll never reach your fat-loss goals if you don’t follow a healthy diet consisting of protein, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. The right foods in controlled portions will fuel your body as it shrinks.

3. Track your progress. If you don’t use the scale, you need to do something else to check your progress.

• One of the best ways to keep track of your changing body is to use a tape measure. Record your chest, waist, hip, thigh, arm, and wrist measurements in a journal or the guidebook that comes with your workout program. Update the measurements every 30 days to see how your body changes.
• Pictures are also good indicators of progress. Have someone take front, side, and back photos of you every 30 days and keep these with your body measurements.
• Body fat testers can also be used regularly to track your fat loss. Monitoring your progress with tools other than the scale will give you a more realistic assessment of your weight loss success.
• Hydrostatic (underwater) testing and DEXA (X-ray) scans use advanced technology to measure your body fat with a high degree of accuracy. An Internet search can help you find testing centers in your area.
• Notice how your clothes fit. This is a foolproof way to prove that you’re losing weight. If your clothes are getting looser, your body is shrinking, even if you don’t see a big change in the mirror yet.

Too many people are slaves to the scale. They can’t resist weighing themselves, only to feel guilty, angry, or demoralized when the numbers don’t move down quickly enough. If you’re one of those people whose weigh-ins lead to loss of motivation or a feeling of helplessness, then you need to reconsider using the scale for your progress checks. Success is more than just a number.

I recently returned from Philadelphia, where I personally had the opportunity to meet Tony Horton. Since 2005, I have been experiencing Tony Horton workouts in my home. Starting with Power 90, followed by P90X, P90X Plus, and now One on One. Along the way I have also used Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer. In the past several years, Tony has motivated me and encouraged me through his programs, but until this past weekend, I have never personally met the man, or had the opportunity to shake his hand. Attending the Tony Horton Fitness Camp, working out live with Tony Horton, and listening to his seminars, was a long awaited, once in a lifetime opportunity.

Also attending the camp were other Beachbody Coaches (such as myself), other fitness fanatics, and Tony Horton fans. The collective energy of being with other individuals with similar fitness goals was also a highlight of the camp. Not to mention, I was able to meet up with my fitness coach, Mark Briggs. You may have seen Mark on the P90X Plus workout DVDs. You might have also noticed Traci Morrow on the DVDs, and she was present as well. Making new fitness friends, incredible workouts, and fitness/nutritional seminars taught by Tony Horton…. what else could you ask for?

So let me tell you about the Tony Horton Fitness Camp.

I arrived on Friday afternoon, checked in at the hotel, and was immediately greeted by Mark Briggs. Since 2005, I have visited with Mark on the phone, emails, and message boards, but this was the first opportunity I had to meet him. Truly an inspiration to all that know Mark or seen him around the Beachbody circles. When I started working out, Mark was already in phenomenal shape. I looked to Mark to set the “bar”. He does this without fail, and has been doing so since I first spoke with him in 2005. His constant motivation and personal work out ethic has continued to push me forwards and still does even today. Keep up the great work Mark!

Shortly after meeting Mark, a small group of 10-12 people decided to get in a workout, Briggs had touched base with Tony Horton, and we ended up getting in a 45 minute workout with Tony Horton. How awesome is that? To be working out live with Tony Horton! Tony is every bit the person he is on the DVDs. He’s personable, encouraging, knowledgeable, and inspiring. Keep in mind, I have seen Tony on the DVD/TV player for over 4 years, 6 days a week. He’s a household name in our home, so meeting him was every bit like meeting a celebrity.

That evening we had a seminar on “Form and Focus”. Tony Horton has a way of putting everything into perspective. A brief summary of the seminar… Tony spoke about the importance of good form during your workouts, and the focus you should be giving to a healthy lifestyle and your workouts. I have always used the old philosophy, “Where there is a will there is a way” towards working out and eating right. But no one can put that into perspective like Tony. Tony encourages 5-6 days a week for your workouts, at a MINIMUM of 20 minutes per day. A good nutritional standard would be 90% of your meals to be healthy meals, at around 5-6 meals per day. Live life, enjoy life, but within reason.

The following day, Saturday consisted of 2 more workouts. One was called UCML (Upper, Cardio, Middle (abs), and Lower), with 1 minute on each exercise. I think we did 5 rounds. Later that afternoon, Tony led us through a Yoga workout. Tony Horton highly encourages Yoga workouts, what he considers the Fountain of Youth. The benefits of Yoga can be found here in this article called The Benefits of Yoga, and How It Improves Your Fitness. I personally recommend the One on One Fountain of Youth or One on One Patience Hummingbird.

Also on Saturday Tony Horton spoke about his 11 Laws of Fitness. I have read this article several times, but hearing the 11 Laws come from Tony was even better then reading the article. There are several items in this article, and one of them is bound to benefit you. If you haven’t read this article, please do, and apply it to your fitness journey. If you have read the article, take another look.

After the 11 Laws of Fitness, we heard from several people about their fitness journeys. How they got started and why, and what they accomplished. Very inspirational testimonies. Hearing these people speak, reinforced what I have always believed. Anyone and everyone can reach their fitness goals. Whether that be weight loss, more flexibility, improved health…. I encourage everyone to just get started. Start today, if you haven’t already. Start walking, jogging, push ups or sit ups. Just get your body moving. I can personally recommend any of Tony Horton’s workouts. I have tried them all, and love them all. These programs work, not only for me, but several more that gave their testimony at camp. Regardless of your circumstances, they can work for you to. There is something for everyone. As always, I’m always available to help you. Just email me, ask your questions. If I can help you with picking out a program, your diet and nutrition, anything at all. The one thing I want to emphasize, I’m easy to reach, and happy to help. Don’t imagine that I’m too busy to help. It may take me a day or two (at the most), but I do respond to all of my customers!

Sunday was a special day. Tony Horton led us through 3 brand new 10 Minute Trainer workouts. A quick word on 10 Minute Trainer. You can definitely get in a great workout with 10 Minute Trainer. We stacked 3 workouts, so the workout was just over 30 minutes. And this is one of the greatest things about 10 Minute Trainer. You can start with one workout per day. Then add a 2nd workout for 20 minutes per day, then a 3rd workout. As you improve your level of fitness, you “stack” another workout. You can also check out some of our 10 Minute Trainer Reviews.

After our 10 Minute Trainer workout, we took a short break, and then we got another “first”. Tony is releasing a new abs workout called Iso Abs for his One on One series. It’s been filmed, but not released. Tony ran us through the workout, and during the workout, he made this comment, “This workout will tell you immediately if your core is weak.” I can not wait to get this DVD! There are two ways to get the One on One workouts. Either here at the store or, even better, get the subscription. I am on the subscription, and get a new workout every month. It’s the highlight of each month. If you get the subscription, on that page, just click Video, and then Tony Horton. The subscription for One on One is at the top. Scroll down and you can get the previous workouts as well!

After the Sunday workouts, it was time to wrap up and head home. Reluctantly, I left Philadelphia and the fitness camp behind, but at the same time was anxious to get home to my family. But the vast amount of experience and knowledge taken from the camp was well worth the trip. A special thanks to Tony Horton of course!

Fall is here! I am so excited! This is truly my favorite season. The days are cool, but not cold. The air is crisp and the leaves are turning. The one downside is that the leaves eventually fall, and you have to rake them up. Anyway, I ran across this article by Joe Wilkes at Beachbody that tells us all about the yummy, yet healthy foods available during the fall months. Enjoy!

10 Fit Foods for Fall
By Joe Wilkes

We all know the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. They contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients to keep our bodies running in peak condition. Study after study shows that people who consume the most fruits and veggies are less at risk for a host of illnesses, including heart disease and cancer. And so, farmers’ markets have started cropping up all over and supermarkets have begun expanding their produce sections to accommodate the increased demand. In some places, fast-food restaurants are giving way to community garden plots. Even the White House lawn has been tilled and planted.

The best fruits and vegetables to eat are the ones grown locally and seasonally. Doing this saves money, protects the planet, and pleases your palate. Crops are more bountiful during their natural harvest times, and your pocketbook benefits from the surplus. Plus, if you buy locally, you won’t incur the costs of the food being transported to your store, and the planet won’t incur the costs of fossil fuels being burned to ship that food. But even if money were no object and global warming weren’t an issue, the best reason to eat locally and seasonally is taste. The following 10 foods are reaching their seasonal peaks. They’re grown and available in most regions of the United States.

1. 1. Apples.An apple a day can keep the doctor away in more ways than one. Studies have shown that apples can help lower cholesterol, manage diabetes, and prevent several diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, and asthma. Make sure you don’t peel the apple. The peel contains quercetin, an antioxidant shown in a Finnish study to reduce heart disease and inhibit tumor growth. The skin also contains insoluble fiber; the flesh contains pectin, a soluble fiber. While apples are great on their own, they also make great crunchy additions to salads or tasty additions to baked dessert treats. Did you know apples were originally native to Kazakhstan? That makes Borat their second-best export.
2. Corn. Generally, our society eats way too much corn. It’s in almost every food we eat, especially in its most nefarious form—high fructose corn syrup. It’s easily America’s number one crop. But fall is the time when we get the harvest of the tastiest sweet corn. Besides being delicious, in its unprocessed state, it’s actually quite healthy. A food study at Cornell University showed that ferulic acid, an antioxidant produced when sweet corn is cooked, is another heart disease and cancer fighter. It’s also a good source of vitamins B1, B5, and C, folate, and fiber. Besides eating it on the cob, try corn in salads or as a colorful, crunchy addition to a salsa.
3. 3. Cucumbers. Normally, we don’t see cucumbers until they’ve been pickled and sliced and added to two all-beef patties and a sesame seed bun. Cucumbers are very low in calories (just 4 calories per ounce), a natural diuretic, and thought to help prevent pancreatic, liver, and kidney diseases. They contain potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. The skin contains silica, which helps strengthen connective tissue. And they’re not just for eating. The juice makes a great skin lotion. Those spa ladies with cucumber slices on their eyes aren’t doing it for nothing. The juice reduces swelling not just for eye bags but also for burns and skin disorders. A tasty way to eat cucumbers is my Russian grandmother’s simple recipe of thinly sliced cucumbers, low-fat yogurt, thinly sliced onion, and chopped dill (she actually used sour cream too, but we won’t go there).
4. Eggplant. Eggplants contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and also high levels of antioxidants, including nasunin, which has been shown to protect cells from free radical damage. Eggplants also contain terpenes, which are believed to help lower cholesterol. Eggplant is a very versatile ingredient in all kinds of cooking, including Italian, Indian, and Chinese dishes. It can be baked, stewed, or sautéed, among other cooking methods. One thing to watch out for is that the flesh of the eggplant is highly absorptive, so if you fry it in oil, it will soak it all up. One cooking technique is to lightly salt sliced eggplant before cooking it; then let it sit for a half hour and rinse the salt off. This will cause the cell structure of the eggplant to contract, making it a little less “spongey.” My mom’s been dealing with a bumper crop of eggplant from her backyard garden and has been putting eggplant in everything. A recent success was replacing the pasta in her favorite lasagna recipe with thinly sliced eggplant. It absorbed the tomato sauce instead of the oil and made the dish richer and creamier.
5. 5. Grapes. There’s been much written about the benefits of wine, and the harvest for the 2009 vintages is beginning. But you don’t have to get loaded to get the benefits of grapes. In their unfermented state, they’re a great source of vitamins A, B6, and C, folate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and fiber. Like apples, they contain the antioxidant quercitin. They also contain resveratrol, which has been shown to reduce blood clots and protect arteries from free radical damage. Generally speaking, the darker the grape, the higher the antioxidant levels. Grapes are great snacks and low in calories. They make great additions to salads, or you can freeze them for a warm-weather treat.
6. Okra. This may be the most intimidating ingredient on this list. Many people are put off by okra’s bristly outside and somewhat slimy inside, but it has a lot of health benefits that should make you take a second look. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. And it has great gastrointestinal benefits. Its high mucilage content, which thickens stews and gumbos, also helps absorb cholesterol, toxins, and bile and has a gentle laxative effect. Its seeds also contain amino acids and protein. It is also believed to be good for the skin and hair. It has been said that Cleopatra ate okra as part of her beauty regimen. Okra is great in soups and stews or lightly sautéed as a side dish.
7. Pears. This is my favorite fall food. The biggest, juiciest pears start showing up in farmers’ markets right about now. Besides being a great source of stains on my shirts, they have high levels of vitamins C and K, copper, and fiber. They contain even more of the soluble fiber pectin than apples, which can play an important part in digestive health and lowering cholesterol. Pears have also been shown to reduce kidney inflammation and colitis. Asian pears, which are crunchy like an apple, are also in season now and contain the health benefits of both fruits. Pears are great plain, broiled, or poached. Asian pears can be shredded as a healthy addition to a slaw.
8. Peppers. Whether you like them spicy or sweet, now is prime pepper-picking time. Fiber-rich peppers have high levels of vitamins A, C, and K, with red peppers containing the highest levels. Red peppers, like tomatoes, are also good sources of lycopene, which studies show may be linked to cancer prevention. Hot peppers contain capsaicin, which has been shown to help prevent ulcers and lower cholesterol. Plus, hot peppers can help ramp up your metabolism. I can’t think of many dishes that couldn’t be improved with a little peppery zip. Soups, stir-frys, salads . . . I even had some chocolate cayenne ice cream that was pretty good.
9. 9. Raspberries. Raspberries are some of the healthiest, but priciest, berries out there. So now when they’re in season is the most economical time to enjoy them. Raspberries contain several flavonoids called anthocyanins, believed to have antimicrobial properties, which can help prevent fungal and yeast infections and aid with irritable bowel syndrome. A Netherlands study recently showed that raspberries had 10 times as many antioxidants as tomatoes. Like apples and pears, they also contain high levels of pectin. While they’re great as snacks and desserts, think about trying them in a salad.
10. Tomatoes. The big new star of the tomato nutritional profile is lycopene. This carotenoid has increasingly been shown to be a powerful antioxidant that may play a big role in preventing cancer and heart disease. They are also great sources of vitamin C. And for those of you who don’t care for raw tomatoes (as George Carlin said, they look like they’re in the larval stage), tomatoes lose very little of their nutritional value when cooked. So they can be enjoyed stewed, in sauce, and even as ketchup (although we recommend a ketchup free of high fructose corn syrup and low in sodium). This is a prime time to seek out tomatoes at the farmers’ market. Especially exotic are the heirloom varieties that come in yellows, greens, purples, browns, and reds. They can make a beautiful multicolored and antioxidant-rich salad.

If you can’t get to the farmers’ market, you just can’t stand eating fruits and vegetables, or you don’t have the time to get your recommended number of servings each day, fear not. Try out Shakeology®, the new shake from Beachbody® that contains more than 70 healthy ingredients. It takes the guesswork out of nutrition. It’s the Healthiest Meal of the Day®.

I write this Insanity Review as a graduate of the Insanity program.  That’s right!  I finished my 60 day program!  This has been a journey.  It is the most challenging cardio program I have endured and put myself through.  I must say, having completed the program, I REALLY have a sense of accomplishment.  I still plan on writing a couple more Insanity Reviews, the next will likely be my final thoughts and overall review of the program.  Looking back I noticed I had not yet reviewed Max Recovery.  I may go back and pick up that one up as well.  So I will save the rest of my thoughts regarding the entire program for another review, and keep this one focused.  Max Cardio Conditioning, is a favorite of mine.  I think of all the MAX workouts, this is the one I like best.  I can’t put my finger on the “why” exactly.  I like to refer to Max Cardio Conditioning as the Pure Cardio workout on steroids. 

Insanity Review: Max Cardio Conditioning

The entire workout is 48 minutes. Once the main workout begins, it’s a non-stop workout until the end.  Of course, you may take your own personal breaks as needed.  Of course, with every workout, the goal is to keep pace with Shaun T, and take breaks as he gives them.  So even now, with completing the program, I could still continue the program and continue to work towards that goal!

The warm up lasts approximately 9 minutes. The warm up consists of 3 rounds. The first two rounds are just under 4 minutes each, and the last round is approximately 1 and a half minutes. The last round has a slight variation in the exercises, and the last round is as fast as you can go.  The first two rounds consist of the following exercises:

• Jog
• Jumping Jacks – Arms Up
• Jump Rope S-S
• High Knees – Arms Out
• Switch Kicks
• Hit the Floor
• S-S Floor Hops

The last round of the warm up is is approximately 1 and a half minutes and slightly different than the first two rounds.  The last round exercises are:

• Sprint
• Jumping Jacks
  
• Heisman
• 123 Heisman
  
• High Knees

At the end of the warm up you get a 30 second water break. The water break is followed by a good stretch, which lasts just under 5 minutes. This is followed by another 30 second water break, and then the workout starts.

The main part of the workout is approximately 29 minutes.  Remember, there are no scheduled breaks until the last move of the main workout.  Each move lasts approximately 1 minute.  The exercises are:

• High Low Jab with Squat
  
• Football Runs
  
• 8 Ball Shots with Squat
  
• Right and Left Kicks
  
• Diamond Jumps
• In-Out Push Up Jacks (4 in-outs/4 push-up jacks)
  
• Suicide Jumps
  
• High Knee/Low/Floor Sprints (8 high knees/8 sprints/8 floor sprints)
  
• Ski Abs
  
• Kick Step Back (1st Recovery Exercise)
  
• Squat Twists (2nd Recovery Exercise)
  
• Over the River Hops (Last Recovery Exercise)
  
• Attack
• Power Knees
  
• Ski Down Hooks
  
• Belt Kicks
• Forward Back Suicides
  
• Push Up Abs
  
• Plank Punches
  
• 8 Jump Ropes/8 Hop Squats
• Squat Speed Bag
  

Finally……The cool down and stretch.  You have definitely earned this!  The cool down and stretch lasts about 4 minutes, and at the conclusion of that, you are done!

You may have noticed above that I have listed 3 exercises as Recovery Exercises.  These exercises are designed to allow you to recover slightly, and then move forward again with intensity.  You don’t stop or take a water break, but the moves are at a slightly slower pace.

Again, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this review.  As I stated in my last review, I WANT to hear from YOU. Email me at robert@extremely-fit.com. Tell me your thoughts, your reviews, how you feel. Click that email link, and tell me you’re doing Insanity. Or tell me your thinking of Insanity, or just bought Insanity. Tell me if you have graduated!  If you have, you may be interested in my next workout plan, which is a hybrid workout including Insanity and Tony Horton’s One on One workouts.  I also have a modified Insanity and P90X hybrid.  I look forward to hearing from you, until then…. DIG DEEPER.