Who wants to take the 30 Day Abs Challenge with me? Today I'm starting with Day 1.

Pilates and Yoga Combined!

One of my new favorite workouts in Piyo, which is a combination of Pilates and Yoga created by Chalene Johnson. Although I love weight training and try to get in as much cardio as I can, there are many times that after a very long exhausting day, I just don’t have it in me. Many times maybe I do but I don’t have enough time. And those are the times I tend to turn to Piyo. At home I use the DVDs and on the road (I’m a flight attendant) I pull at my iPad and do it On Demand.

This workout is fun but also gives me the benefits of both yoga and pilates. It helps build stamina, strength and flexibility. The workouts can be as short as 25 minutes if time is a factor or as much as 45. Chalene Johnson is by far my favorite instructor. No weights are needed. Even though I’m not running or walking on a treadmill or on an elliptical, I’m still getting my heart rate up.

You don’t have to already be in great shape to begin doing Piyo workouts. As with all Beachbody workouts, there is a modifier showing you ways to do the moves if you’re just starting out. You can gradually increase intensity as you progress. Even though I stated above that I tend to do Piyo on my less energy days or less time days, don’t get me wrong. This work out kicks butt. It’s every bit as effective as sweating it out in the gym. And I feel really really good afterwards.

I’ve found I sleep so much better when I’m working out regularly. It’s so easy, though, to find excuses not to workout. No time? Well, I bet you could squeeze a 25 minute workout in. I sometimes find myself at a hotel with not the greatest gym in the world. Sometimes I honestly just don’t feel like going down to the gym. There are times when I’m home I really don’t want to drive to the gym and have to wait on equipment. As stated above, sometimes I have just worked a day that could be as long as 15 ½ hours (trust me, I try to avoid that as much as possible but it does happen from time to time). Sometimes I have a short overnight at the hotel or maybe my time at home is limited. But I can find time to do a 25 minute Piyo workout. Like many, boredom with the same routine over and over can be another excuse. I never get bored with On Demand.

So I highly recommend you check out Piyo. I think you’ll like it too. Click

here

Cellulite is a myth

Really?! Tell that to my thighs. But really the dimpled skin and the cottage cheese looking thighs do exist but the cause it's actually not fat. The cause is the connective tissue called fascia. The fat cells are bound by this tight connective tissue and as the fascia becomes tight and constricted it can stick together and pull the skin into debts and craters. The fat below it will push through. Imagine a marshmallow pushing through a chain link fence. People spend a fortune on lotions, creams, injections and expensive treatments in a spa doctor’s office. Creams and lotions won't work because they aren't addressing the true cause. Below is a picture of what fascia looks like

Well I found something that works, the FasciaBlaster and it’s around $90. I’m not an expert in connective tissue but I do know of someone who is: Ashley Black. She has clients who are A-list celebrities, fashion models, athletes and many more. She is the pioneer of the industry. So I bought one and put it to the test. I’m sorry to say I don’t have before and after photos to show because I’m far too vain to have taken photos of my dimpled thighs! But if you click here http://www.fasciablaster.com you can see many before and after photos and you’ll be amazed at the results. I bought both the full blaster for $89 and a mini for about $40. I keep the full one at home and take the mini with me on my trips for work. It fits easily in my suitcase. I use coconut oil in conjunction with it.

I can tell you I wasn’t anywhere near as bad as some of these but I did see results quickly. At first I experienced pretty bad bruising and at first it worried me a lot. But then I did some reading on Ashley’s blog about how the bruising is part of the process. The bruising didn’t last long and really wasn’t all that painful. I would call it more just uncomfortable. It hasn’t come back except if I work extra hard in an area that hasn’t been treated much recently. And in that case the bruising is localized to that area.

You owe it to yourself to check it out if you have a lot of cellulite. These fascia distortions also can cause pain and discomfort so check it out. I don’t represent Ashley Black or get paid or anything to endorse her products. I’m just telling you honestly that the FasciaBlaster has worked for me and I do recommend it.

10 important things to do to get a flat belly after 40

As we get older keeping your belly flat becomes more and more difficult, especially after menopause. Decreased hormone production is one of the primary culprits. Stored fat can now move to the belly instead of the thighs and hips. Belly fat is more than just a cosmetic concern, though. It is also linked to diabetes, heart disease and can even add fat to bone marrow and reduce bone density. But we can combat this by making a few lifestyle changes.

1. Start eating six smaller meals a day, about two or three hours apart. Eating more frequent meals help to suppress hunger, stabilize blood sugar and can help build metabolically active muscle. This technique helps elevate your metabolic rate which declines as we age.

2. Eat more lean proteins such as fish, turkey or chicken. For carbohydrates, choose oatmeal, brown rice, whole-grain breads or pastas and fresh fruits and vegetables. Don't forget healthy fats from sources like flaxseed or fish oil, avocado, natural peanut butter or olive oil. Select clean foods that do not readily store as body fat which is important as our metabolism slows and our bodies tends to store more fat with fewer calories.

3. Increase your protein intake. Taking in more protein fights the metabolic decline and muscle wasting that occurs as we age.

4. Take in more calcium and dietary fiber. As carb intakes are reduced, fiber intake can decrease as well. Consider a fiber supplement. Limit sodium intake, especially if you have high blood pressure, to keep from storing excess fluid, which can hide a flat stomach with bloating.

5. A few hours of lifting weights a week can help build muscle in your body. Resistance training workouts three to five days a week is ideal. Weight lifting maintains strong bones, elevates fat-burning hormones, builds muscle and speeds up metabolism as well as keeping your metabolic rate up for up to 48 hours afterward. Some women think they'll bulk up with weight training but that is a myth.

6. Doing cardio workout for 30 minutes up to six days per week will increase stamina and burn extra fat, including that layer cover your flat ab muscles. You can do low-impact cardio, such as the elliptical machine, swimming or walking on the treadmill.

7. Ab workout exercises such bicycles and crunches are very helpful. You can use a medicine ball and do trunk rotations to target the muscles of your upper and lower abs. Try to work your obliques as well.

8. Try to reduce your stress. I know, easier said than done! But try working less, fewer hours and finding healthy ways to bring down your stress levels. Yoga is an excellent workout that not only can work your body but also help you relax. Too much alcohol can increase cortisol level and increase belly fat, not to mention all the extra calories you're taking in.

9. Try not to consume caffeine after 6PM. Although caffeinated beverages can enhance fat-burning when consumed around exercise, caffeine can increase cortisol as well as keep you from getting a good night’s sleep. Quality sleep can help reduce cortisol levels as well.

10. Take time to "unplug". Those who spend more time plugged into technology (TV, smartphones, computers, etc) tend to be more stressed than those who don't. More stress = more belly fat, so if you want a trim belly start planning some device-free time each day.

Bottom line: getting and keeping a flat belly is not out of reach for you, even now as you get older. By just making a few small changes to your lifestyle you can start seeing sexy flat again. Eat well, avoid stress, get your cardio in to burn the fat on top of your gut, avoid the bloat, sleep well and keep your cortisol levels in check. Anything is possible if you put the effort in.

There are a number of make it yourself fat flushers you can try. I'll include them below. Do they actually work? I will try them out and see but I'm not holding my breath. However, they are easy and inexpensive to make plus super healthy and you can't beat that combination.







Secret Fat-Flushing Cocktail

This all-natural diet aid not only tastes great, but may also help you burn off an extra 80 calories a day!

8 cups brewed green tea
Juice from 1 orange (4 tbsp)
Juice from 1 lemon (2-3 tbsp)
Juice from 1 lime (2 tbsp)

Mix all ingredients together in a large pitcher. Serve hot or iced; store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Promoters of this diet say it not only tastes great, but may also help you burn off an extra 80 calories a day.


Fat Melting Drink Recipe

8 green tea bags, preferably caffeinated
8 cups of filtered water
1 medium cucumber, sliced thin
1 large orange, sliced thin
1 lemon, sliced thin
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
A handful of fresh mint leaves

Instructions

Bring the filtered water to a boil.
Take the water off the stove and add the green tea bags to steep in the boiled water for about 5 minutes.
While the tea is steeping, add the slices of cucumber, orange, and lemon to a large pitcher. Add the grated ginger.
When the tea is done steeping, pour it into the pitcher filled with the fresh fruit and ginger.
Toss the mint leaves in the pitcher and chill in the refrigerator for about one hour.

This mixed drink will stay fresh for up to two days in the refrigerator.

If you’ve been inactive for a while, or maybe not inactive but just not working out as often as you had in the past, it can be daunting to get back at it again. Maybe you were injured at some point or life just took you down a certain path that slowed your progress. Maybe you just lost interest. But as you get older and approach and pass menopause, it’s more important than ever to get moving again. I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t bite off more than you can chew, so to speak. In my life I’ve known so many people who were super motivated at first and started a new exercise program only to drop it a short while later. I remember a friend who decided to begin running after not exercising for years. That lasted about 10 days. Best to start with baby steps. Start at a level you’re comfortable with and then progress from there. Keeping doing more and more as it gets easier.

Strength training is essential but unfortunately many women are afraid of it. They’re afraid they’ll get big and bulky. I can assure you that won’t happen. You WILL however get big and bulky if you do nothing! Start out using weights that are challenging to you but not overwhelming and do the number of reps that fatigues your muscles. Once that starts getting easier, up the ante. Increase the weight and/or increase the number of reps. And remember that doing SOMETHING is always better than doing NOTHING. There are days you may not have the energy to work out much at all. But go anyway and do whatever you can, even if it’s less than you had been doing. Cardio is important too. If the weather is nice, get out and take a good long hike (but not a leisurely walk if you want to get your heart rate up). Grab your bike and take a good long ride. Throw on your running shoes and get out there. If the weather is bad you can work up a sweat inside on a treadmill, elliptical or bike. Beachbody has many videos available on demand or on dvd. The choices are endless. Although P90X, Insanity, Cize and TurboFire are tough workouts, there is always a modifier and that makes them perfect for beginners, But there are many other options for those just starting out or those at an intermediate level. These and more are all available On Demand as well.

Bottom line: now is the time to for you. You’ve been putting everybody else first for so long. This time it’s for you. So get up and get moving. You owe it to yourself.

Losing weight and/or staying in shape can become a big challenge for women in their 40s and beyond. The drop in estrogen levels can lead to weight gain. The average woman gains between 5 to 7 pounds after menopause and more tends to go to the gut, rather than the hips and thighs. Eating habits need to be tweaked and also an exercise program needs to be started, if you're not already working out. If you’re sedentary, absolutely you need to begin an exercise program that includes weight training and cardio.

Now that I’m getting into that part of my life I’ve found it harder to keep my waistline as trim as it used to be. I’ve always been somewhat of a gym rat and have eaten fairly well. Yes, I do have a sweet tooth and a fondness for wine. But I’ve never been an over eater. My challenge now revolves around my career as a flight attendant. In general, flight crew members find themselves not always eating well. Frequently time doesn’t allow for much more than a quick stop at a fast food place or eating junk food on the plane. Also, hotels don’t always have the best gym equipment available for use.
In my quest to get my girlish figure back and keep it looking good I’ve begun incorporating new strategies and resurrecting some old ones. For starters, I’m returned to doing BeachBody workouts. For years I did Turbo Jam workouts as well as ChaLEAN Extreme workouts. I tinkered with P90X and Insanity as well. Once I started in the industry I found myself not working out with videos anymore and just relying on whatever gym was available to me. My home workouts have been weights at the gym and I’ve been doing cardio workouts as well. But on the road sometimes I’d find myself not able to work out sufficiently, if at all. Then I discovered BeachBody On Demand. All my favorite workouts and a bunch of new ones I’ve discovered are available to be streamed on my iPad.

I’ve learned that to keep strong bones and fend off osteoporosis I need to continue lifting weights. Strength training, though, also has upped my metabolism. The increased muscle mass has increased my body’s fat burning potential. And a toned body is a sexy body! Also to combat osteoporosis I need to include some more foot pounding cardio. I love hiking and if I’m able to get in a long walk on an overnight I’ll do that. If not, BeachBody’s Turbo Fire has been a long favorite of mine. I can do this in my hotel room with no weights required. There are times when I don’t have quite as much time or maybe my energy just isn’t there after a long day of flying. Those are the times I’ll turn to one of my new favorites, Piyo.

Eating healthy has created its own challenges. Now I pack my food and am still working on strategies to keep everything I bring fresh and cold. Most crew members know of the trick of bringing a refillable ice pack. This is the kind you’d fill with ice and maybe place on a sprained ankle or other minor injury. The good part is I don’t need a freezer, just access to more ice to refill my pack as it melts. The bad part can come overnight if the hotel doesn’t provide a refrigerator in my room. I also have returned to Shakeology for a healthy nutritious option. My favorites are chocolate, strawberry and vanilla but also love the coffee flavor. I bring a shaker with me and also a few containers of Greek yogurt. Just about a cup or less of cold water, a yogurt and a Shakeology envelope mixed together in my shaker cup and I have a super healthy delicious shake that’s loaded with vitamins and nutrients as well as super high in protein (something essential for increasing muscle).

While I continue my journey toward getting back into the shape I was before and maintaining a healthy and toned physique I will be blogging here about my experiences, what has worked for me and what hasn’t. I also hope to work together with other women who find themselves also in the same boat in their fitness and health goals. In September I will be starting a challenge group for women over 40. The link along with all information will be provided shortly. So if you’re looking for some partners in getting in shape and keeping that good looking booty join the challenge group. You’ll do the workout program you choose for yourself, including whatever you’re doing now if you’d like. You’re sure to make new friends along the way and find people to hold you accountable and keep you on track and working towards your journey. It’s so easy to get discouraged and give up. But having workout buddies is one way to avoid that and stay focused. More info coming soon!