Don't Miss the Train

Sorry I haven't blogged much lately.  I won't make excuses.  Just simply that I haven't taken the time that I should have.

It's now the time of year that holiday celebrations are in full swing.  One movie that always finds it's way back around is The Polar Express with Tom Hanks.  My two boys recently were able to go watch this classic in the historic Alabama Theater here in Birmingham, Alabama.  I have to say that it really is one of the neatest places I've been for the venue that it is.  So much history to even wrap my mind around.

Speaking of history, we create our own history whether we realize it or not.  There was a quote from the conductor in the movie where he says "The thing about trains... it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on".  I can't help but think about all of the opportunities that I have missed by not "getting on the train" and even the ones I was able to by "getting on the train".

Many people often start thinking about their New Year's Resolutions this time of year.  Some of these resolutions are their proverbial "trains" too.  So often people get off that train before it reaches it's destination or they fail to continually "enjoy the ride".

As many of you know, or don't know, I've been committed to improving my health and fitness for some time now.  I've had peaks and valleys but do know this, I'm on the train to a better life; for me and for my family.  I've completely changed my life with the help of Beachbody and products like Power 90, P90X, Insanity, RevAbs and soon to be P90X2.  I'm still not perfect, never will be, but I'm on that train headed toward a better day of health & fitness.

So January also starts a new phase in my life.  I don't consider it a New Year's Resolution because it's not new to me, it's only a new workout starting January 2, 2012 called P90X2.  It's the newest creation from renowned trainer Tony Horton, and whether you believe it's a "good" product or not, you can't deny the results that P90X has created for millions of people.  I'm confident that P90X2 will do the same and mark my word, it will further improve ME in the coming months.  I also have a small challenge group of like-minded people that, starting January, will motivate, encourage and hold me accountable to my best outcome.

In closing, I highly encourage you to not "miss your train".  No matter if it's personal health/fitness, family, career or anything else, be sure to get on board!  Rory Cochrane once said "I do not regret the things I've done, but those I did not do".  Make today great, and then do that all over the next day..........!

In this with you,

Jason Peterson
Independent Beachbody Coach
www.alabamafitclub.com

Motivation, Accountability and Challenges

How many of us struggle with the lack of motivation currently or from time to time?  Maybe we simply lack accountability.  Could it be that if we're accountable to someone or something that we try harder to complete said task?  Maybe it's a lack of positive challenges in our lives that encourages our lack of motivation?  Some say simple everyday ordinary specific challenges help keep them motivated and accountable to their goals. 

I can attest that from time to time, I too lack motivation.  Some days it's a struggle to get my sleepy head out of bed.  Some days I'm not motivated to exercise and I want to find easy simple excuses to prevent me from doing it.  Some days I want to blow my daily nutrition and eat everything in site and then go find more.

We all have our moments, days and even weeks that we lack motivation but I am here to tell you all that once you find your motivating factors in your life you'll struggle less and less each day with the lack of motivation.  How do I know this?  Because now that I've turned my health, fitness and nutrition in a positive direction, I'm motivated more and more daily to not get back to that overweight, unhealthy, slothful, out of shape Dad/Husband/Son that I once was.

I have to admit that accountability has played a major role in my ongoing success with health, fitness, nutrition and business.  I clearly understand that I am accountable to my family to maintain a healthy fitness and nutrition level to ensure my ability to provide for them.  Not only provide for them but to enjoy time with them, both in physical activities and quality time with them.  Challenges do arise during my efforts to accomplish my goals but I now have a favored quote come to mind from Jim Rohn.  When challenges arise he says "Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better".  What wisdom we can all take from this.

Motivation, accountability and challenges also arise in our work life and/or business.  I too fall victim to this aspect and have found great help and comfort in personal development.  For those that know me very well, they know that I'm not a "big" reader.  I've never been motivated to do such until recently.  I now find myself reading at minimum 10 pages of personal development each night before bed and if you check my CD player in my truck you'll find personal development audio as well.  I like to call it "Drive Time University".

So you may be reading this and wondering why such a ramble from me.  Well, I am here to share with you all that I AM committed to my family, my fitness, my health, my nutrition and my business of helping others achieve all of these aspects as a Beachbody Coach.  My fellow Beachbody coaches and mentors that I've surrounded myself with are keeping me accountable.  They are doing this with challenges.  Which again, keeps me motivated to become a better person, better father, better husband and all around happier person.

So to all of you that are simply as human as I am, find your motivation for whatever the subject matter.  Find it by becoming accountable to someone or something and use challenges, now matter how small or large, to accomplish your goals and live a healthy productive life for yourself and the ones you love.

Go make today great, even if it's only great just for you!

The Skinny on Beachbody's 3 Day Shakeology Cleanse

I've been drinking Shakeology now for many months and can't begin to tell you how much it has helped my wife & I in addition to so many people we know and love.  But once I start telling folks about how great it is I simply can't hardly stop.  Who wouldn't want to lose weight, feel energized & lower their cholesterol, naturally by having one of these delicious shakes once a day?

So enough of the commercial.  You simply have to try it for yourself!  Why not?  It has a 30 day, bottom of the bag guarantee.  You can use it all and Beachbody will still refund your money if you don't like it.  (Also message me if you'd like to get Shakeology at a 25% discount off of retail)

Some time back I started seeing posts about this "Shakeology Cleanse".  It was all over Beachbody, Facebook and Twitter.  Lots of my fellow Beachbody Coaches & other users of Shakeology were raving about doing or completing the "cleanse".  I was a bit intrigued but obviously not enough to give it a try myself.  I was a little leary simply because I was either doing P90X, Insanity or RevAbs and feared "bonking" on my workouts due to the low daily calorie count during the cleanse.

Well last week I finally decided to commit to doing "The 3 Day Shakeology Cleanse".  I was in my "recovery" week of P90X between phase 1 and phase 2 and decided I would skip a few recovery workouts to get it done.  I had also just came off a week of Spring Break with my wife & boys.  I felt like my nutrition was decent during Spring Break but I have to admit that I had more than just one cheat day or one cheat meal.  I felt sluggish and icky for the first part of my recovery week and finally told myself "Just do it".  I started my 3 day cleanse on a Thursday morning knowing good and well it would be a challenge.  We had multiple baseball games scheduled with my 2 boys and ballparks don't cater to the health-minded population.  I planned accordingly and stuck to the plan to a T.

Final results astounded not only me but my personal Beachbody Coach and others.  I managed to drop a total of 11 pounds from Wednesday night leading into the cleanse until Sunday morning after the cleanse.  I'm not sure where it all came from but I can tell you that 2.75 inches disappeared from around my waistline!  I felt so much better, energized and ready to rock phase 2 of P90X and it's been a great week for my workouts and keeping my nutrition cleaner since. 

I highly encourage anyone to join me in working daily toward your own health & fitness goals!  I'll even help you for free.  Join me here.

Bringing it!
Jason

For anyone that may be considering the 3 Day Cleanse see below for the regimen:

The Shakeology® 3-Day Cleanse
The key is to follow the same regimen all three days.

Essentials:

• 3 Shakeology shakes per day
• 2 cups of green tea per day
• 1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day (optional)
• 1 salad for dinner—can include fish or poultry
• No dairy or extra sugars (this includes almond and soy milk)!
• Drink 2 to 4 liters of water every day
• Only use low-fat dressings, and go easy on the salt and/or pepper to taste
• 2 snacks before/after any of the major meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
• Fruit is optional, and it is discouraged (however, some of you will need the calories while others may not)
• Power-workout participants (those who are already super conditioned) are recommended the higher numbers of calories
• For maximum results, do NOT use additives
• Dinner salad may include WHITE GRILLED PROTEIN—poultry or fish only

Daily Regimen:
1 cup of green tea to start the day

Breakfast:
1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
1/2 cup of fruit (60 to 90 calories)—optional
Ice to taste
8 to10 oz. of water

Snack 1 (85 calories):
1 piece of fruit (apple, pear, orange, banana mango, etc.)

Lunch:
1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
Ice to taste 8 to 10 oz. of water
1 cup of green tea or a detox tea

Snack 2: (you can have the second snack before or after dinner)
1 scoop Shakeology (140 calories)
Ice to taste
8 to10 oz. of water

Dinner:
Salad with grilled white fish or poultry (roughly 340 calories)

•  Greens—3 servings of vegetables, plus 4 oz. of grilled white meat (fish or poultry)
• 2 tablespoons of dressing—no more!

Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse FAQ

Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:
1. How many calories per day?

• 800 to 1,100 calories per day

2. How often can I do the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse?

• Ideally, you should do it once per quarter (every 3 months)
• As the seasons change
• Before starting a new workout program
• When you feel you need help breaking through a plateau

3. Should/Can I still do my workouts during the Cleanse?

• Depends on the individual
• You’ll have less energy than normal, so consider doing it during a recovery week
• Try not to do in the middle of P90X® or INSANITY®

4. Can I do a 1-day or a 2-day cleanse instead of a 3-day?

• Yes! Some people will see results with one or two days
• We recommend against continuing the cleanse for more than three days

5. Should/Can I take other Beachbody® supplements during the Cleanse?

• Results and Recovery Formula™: No, too much sugar/calories
• Others (Omega-3, etc.): Not necessary, but won’t hurt either

This Is Why I Do ... What I Do!

I originally started my Beachbody journey as a customer simply wanting to get in better shape and be healthier for my kids and wife.  That later turned me to an angle of helping others do the same thing for themselves as a Beachbody Coach.  Four years ago I would never have thought I'd be on the receiving end of the following email.  I felt lead to share this with you all to get a small glimpse inside what's happening in my life lately. 

[Just wanted to say thank you for showing me the path to good health. I got on the scales this morning and I'm now in the 240 category. That's good news for me as I was pushing 280 at the beginning of the year. The Dr. Asked me if this were something that I was willing to do for the rest of my life. Well, it's definitely easier than worrying about how big I might get. Eating right and being healthy is actually really easy after the first couple of weeks. I just wish everyone could know that it's not that bad. I think most people are just scared of taking that first step. Once you notice that your pants are falling off you realize how easy it was and it becomes kinda addictive.]

My whole life I've been in positions to help people.  Whether that be from a public service standpoint volunteering with my local fire department & sheriff's department; from the professional standpoint taking care of patient's & families as a nurse; or simply helping out friends, family and neighbors.  Now I'm able to add another sentence to that chapter in my life; helping others become healthier and fit so they too can enjoy themselves and their families!

Today is a great day...........tomorrow will be better!

Respectfully,
Jason Peterson

So when should I start P90X? Is it too hard?

I get this question all the time.  The answer simply is IMMEDIATELY!  I realize this is typically asked in reference to day of the week or a specific time in someone's schedule but why wait?  I encourage any and everyone to start their health and fitness transformations ASAP.  One's health & wellness should not be something we as humans procrastinate at.


As for my personal P90X schedule, I prefer starting on a Monday.  Why Monday?  P90X is a six day workout with a rest day on the 7th day.  By starting on Monday it gives me Sunday as my rest day to spend with family at my church and home.  Some people that I coach prefer to have their rest day on different days, which is fine, but just be sure to focus on getting all six workouts in prior to your rest day.  Sunday might not be your choice and that's fine.  The following list is the starting workout schedule for the P90X Classic schedule.  I mention 'starting' because your schedule changes periodically throughout the 90 days to accomplish the muscle confusion that Tony Horton bases his training on.

Day1 - Chest & Back followed by Ab Ripper X (Resistance strength training)
Day2 - Plyometrics (Cardio jump training)
Day3 - Shoulders & Arms followed by Ab Ripper X (Resistance strength training)
Day 4 - Yoga X (I realize most people either hate this or think it's not needed.  You gotta do this!)
Day 5 - Legs & Back followed by Ab Ripper X (Resistance strength training)
Day 6 - Kenpo X (Cardio kicking & punching training)
Day 7 - Rest Day or X-Stretch

I can personally tell you that my first 2 weeks of P90X was miserable.  Miserable?  YES.  All due respect, I was terribly sore and even asked myself if it really is worth it.  I reached back to my days of playing sports and knew that if I simply stuck with it things would get better.  I continued to push play everyday.  I added the P90X Results & Recovery drink to my post workout hydration.  I forced myself to do Yoga X that helped improve my soreness and flexibility.  I tell anyone who starts P90X to give it 2 weeks and to not give up.  You have to pace yourself, modify moves when needed and "Do your best and forget the rest!".  Many people simply give up either after a few days or they don't work through the soreness to start reaching their health/fitness goals.  I can't tell you how important it is to stick with your regimen to accomplish your goals!

Another question I'm often asked, or sometimes told, is "That P90X is just too hard for me to do".  I always make sure people know that even though P90X is an advanced workout, it is something that anyone can do.  Again, all you have to do is modify exercises that may be too tough at first, but over time work harder to move to the original exercises and moves.  If people like Dallas Carter and Jeremy Yost can lose 180+ pounds with P90X alone, then anyone can reach their goals with this program.

Still not sure what to think about P90X?  Join me for free on the Team Beachbody website to learn more about all that we have to offer.  Why not?  IT'S FREE

In the words of P90X creator Tony Horton:

"Do your best and forget the rest" to "Bring it"

All the best to you all,

Jason Peterson
Independent Beachbody Coach
www.alabamafitclub.com

Can you answer these 2 questions for me please?

1.  Are you ready to improve your health & fitness?  It takes many of us experiencing something tragic or heartbreaking to realize and decide we need a change in our lives.  Our current lifestyles are killing us day by day and most people are "OK" with that.  Well I'm not!

2.  Would you like to help others do the same and make some extra cash at the same time?  I never thought I would be the type of person to help others with health & fitness.  Well here I am and my initial will to better my own personal health & save a little on my own fitness journey has developed into something much more wonderful and fulfilling.

So I'm scheduled to start my next chapter in my fitness transformation on February 28, 2011.  I'll be finishing my round of RevAbs on February 24th and plan to hit it with another round of P90X the following Monday.  Why does this matter to you?  I'm asking for you to join me, motivate me and allow me to help you continue or start your own fitness transformation.  This 90 or so days will lead me right into Summer and I can't wait to see what it has in store for not only me but others that are willing to commit to changing their lives to the good.

I'm looking for serious individuals ready to commit to their own health, and if interested I'll also show you how I'm able to make extra income simply sharing what I'm doing to help others do the same.  I'm going to help anyone that responds.  Whether that is you or not is completely up to you.   

If you answered yes to either of the above questions then I need to hear from you.  Reply ASAP!

I AM on fire to help end the trend of obesity & I want to help you do it too!

Jason Peterson
Independent Beachbody Coach
flightnurse@beachbodycoach.com

Welcome to the world of blogging. (Message to myself)

When the thought of putting my name in the same context as a 'blogger' or a 'blog' I found myself with a little internal chuckle. See, even though I consider myself a fairly educated person and even some may consider me a 'techy' or 'computer friendly' type of person, I personally haven't envisioned myself as a 'writer' or a 'blogger'. I certainly know that my high school and college English teachers can't. I gravitated more toward the math/science world in school and not so much to the literature/history genre. Maybe that explains why I have a career in medicine and that my wife insists that I help our children with their math homework, who knows?

Enough of my confused rambling. Since broadening my health and fitness horizons I'm now broadening other aspects of my life (just not my clothes sizes). I'm excited to begin sharing my life, experiences and maybe just useless knowledge (according to my wife) with the cyberworld. I embrace everyone's encouragement and support as a venture into the rarely visited part of my life.

There's surely more to come so sit tight and enjoy the ride (or maybe just shake your head in a confused reasoning fashion at my feeble attempt at this).

Best wishes for your day. Do what you have to do to make it a great one!

Jason Peterson
Independent Beachbody Coach