Where do I start?

Starting a new fitness program, especially an at home program, can be extremely daunting. But there is one thing that I've learned over the past few months. If you want something, anything bad enough you will work your tail off to get it. In this case, I have tried and failed...many times. But recently I have noticed that I have gotten back on track faster than before. The thing with exercise is that nutrition goes hand in hand with it. There is no getting around that! So here are my tips for starting out with you best foot forward....

1. Drink Shakeology! It comes with your challenge pack for a reason. It's the fastest of all fast foods...it packs just about all of the nutrients to maintain a healthy diet. Simply put, Shakeology is a protein shake that is loaded with an abundance of superfoods...and tastes like dessert!!! All you have to do is drink one shake a day in place of a meal or snack. 

2. Plan!! Plan everything, if it's written out in front of you, you will be more likely to do it. If you have a calendar in your phone or tablet than you can set timers and alerts. Be prepared, have your plan for each day and try and stick to it as closely as you can. Have your workout clothes laid out, water chilling in the fridge and meals ready to go. You can prepare most foods for the week. Cut up veggies, pre-cook meats and portion out most snacks such as almonds. I even go as far as preparing freezer meals so that I have several meals ready to go.

3. Set yourself up for success! Pick a time of day that you know you will workout. If you are not an early riser than choosing a 5 a.m. workout time is probably not going to be very successful. So really think about when would be a good time. For the longest time I would wait until my kids were in bed and than I'd pop in the DVD and workout. Some days I workout first thing and other days I do it as soon as I am in the door from work.

4. Stay positive! Sometimes changes don't "appear" right away. Trusting the program and the process is key! If you are putting in the effort, you will see results. Sometimes it takes tweaking and asking lots of questions. After all, we are works in progress. And the thing about our bodies is that we are constantly changing.

5. Stay hydrated! 
You need to consume enough water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Your muscles are changing and they need the fluid to help repair. Water is also important to help flush out toxins. A rule I like to follow is to drink at least half of my body weight in ounces each day, I love water so I tend to drink more than that. So once you have your Shakeology shaker cup, fill it and sip it throughout the day. You can add things like lemon slices or cucumbers or even mint to your water if you like a little twist, whatever it takes to get that H2O into you!!