Weight loss can be a perpetual, frustrating, roller coaster.  One week you discover you lost 5 pounds and two week later, you discover you gained back the 5 pounds you lost only to gain another 2 pounds the week after that. 

Or perhaps you had successfully lost 10-20 lbs or more only to find yourself gaining back the weight you lost and then some.

Then there are those who have successfully lost weight, transformed their body, and have kept it off.  I happen to be one of those people. 

I can tell you first hand that building a body that is fit and healthy takes commitment and doesn’t happen overnight.  Many people are in a constant battle of the bulge and too often they will start and stop a program and not achieve results. 

Fitness is NOT an event, it’s a lifestyle
If you are like most people, your best weight loss success happens when you are motivated to lose weight and look your best for an event, whether that event is a vacation, a high school reunion, a wedding, etc., and as soon as the “event’ is over you go back to your old habits that were not contributing to your weight loss goals.  My question is, why go back to your old habits that were not contributing to your weight loss goals once the event is over?  Why not continue to do what you were doing?

Being healthy and fit is a lifestyle, and I stress the word LIFESTYLE, where you are consistent with eating healthy meals and you are consistent with your exercise program. I don’t have to think about eating nutritious foods and exercise.  Eating nutritious foods and exercising should be as natural as any other daily habit such as showering and brushing your teeth.

This mindset is what separates those who keep the weight off and those who struggle to keep it off.

Nutrition
Nutritional Sustainability
Everyone knows that the basic rule of thumb of weight loss is calories in vs. calories out.  It’s not about the latest fad diet or a quick fix. If your nutrition plan isn’t sustainable, you’re not going to be able to stick to it. 

Eating a balanced diet consisting of a variety of foods that are nutrient rich, flavorful, low in calories, that you enjoy is much more sustainable and enjoyable than the latest starvation diet or the latest fad diet that has you eating as much as you want of one particular item and very little of another item.  Simply put, while you may get results in the short term, in the long term you can’t sustain it and end up gaining back the weight you lost and then some.

Be Aware Of What You Eat
95% of the time, I am very aware of what foods I eat.  I don’t eat for the sake of eating.  I don’t eat out of boredom.  I eat to nourish and fuel my body and avoid foods that are loaded with calories that contain no nutritional value.

 Unhealthy, unfit, overweight people tend to not give a second thought as to what they are eating and whether or not the foods they are eating are nutrient rich foods.

Precook your meals
Pre-cooking my meals for the week not only prevents me from grabbing foods that don’t contribute to my health and fitness, but saves me lots of time in the kitchen during week.  I create nutritious, mouthwatering, healthy meals on the fly that take 20 minutes from prep, to pan, to plate.  

So, how do I do that?

Every week I pre-cook and prep all my food for the week which includes slicing and dicing all my vegetables, I  pre-cook chicken, beef, or fish on the grill and pre-cook a few sweet potatoes.  I also buy foods that are easy to pack in a cooler and carry on the go with me such as Low Fat Greek Yogurt, Apples, Nuts, and protein shakes so that I don’t have to eat unhealthy, processed, convenience foods.

If you talk to any physique athlete, or individual who has successfully lost weight and have kept the weight off, you will discover that we all share this same habit.

For many years I consistently buy all my groceries for the week on Fridays and precook my food for the week every Sunday which takes me about an hour to one and a half hours max.

If you have a very busy schedule or a family, I promise this will not only save you time in the kitchen during the week, but will have you and your family eating more nutritious meals and will save you money.

Fitness
Give it your all!
Regardless of what type of fitness program you choose, the key to being healthy and fit is to exercise at  least three days a week 30 -60 minutes and don’t just go through the motions when you workout.  Make each and every workout count and give it all you got! 

Find an exercise program you enjoy doing, challenges you, and you follow consistently.  The best workout program will not provide you the results you are looking for if you do not follow it and you don’t give it your best effort. 

Have a fitness game plan
Whenever I walk into the gym to do my workout, I always have my fitness game plan.  If you walk into the gym with some vague idea of what you’re going to do, chances are you’ll end up wasting a lot of time and spinning your wheels.

You should walk into the gym knowing exactly what exercises you’re going to do, how many sets and how many reps of each exercise.  Having a fitness game plan not only helps to keep you focused and motivated on your workout, but you’ll also be working out more efficiently and effectively.

Avoid Plateaus
I avoid training plateaus by changing up my workouts every three months.  Doing the same workout day in, day out, month after month not only numbs the body, but numbs the mind as well. 

I’m constantly challenging myself physically and mentally in the gym by trying out different training programs, styles and techniques and look forward to my workouts. (Be sure to check out my product reviews of some of the workout programs I’ve tried.)

I always feel a sense of accomplishment mentally and sets the tone for the rest of my day.  When I challenge myself in the gym, I feel like I can accomplish anything I put my mind to and am more productive and always in a good, positive mood.

Exercise for the Mind/Body
Lack of sleep and stress can interfere with your weight loss goals and being consistent with your exercise program is a great natural stress reliever.  Not only is being consistent with exercise a great natural stress reliever, it is also great for getting good, quality, restful sleep.

Conclusion
And there you have it.  If you want to lose weight, and keep the weight off,  it pretty much boils down living a healthy lifestyle that includes being consistent with your workout  program and eating healthy, nutritious foods.  I know this is something you haven’t already  heard before, but for some reason, most of us tend to let their fitness and nutrition habits fall by the wayside.  Don’t be one of them.

Should men and women train differently?

There are many fitness books and workout programs that are specifically targeted to just men or just women. Why? Should women train differently than men?

I’m not throwing any science at you in this article.  What I’m about to share with you is strictly my opinion based on my personal experience.

I’ve been in the gym training for many years.  I lift weights.  In fact I love lifting weights.  When I first got serious about training, I hired a fitness professional who happened to be a male.  Throughout the years, whenever I have had a training partner, I have trained side by side with men, keeping up with them and doing the same workouts with them.

In fact, as a fitness blogger, I have done several workout programs designed to build muscle mass that were written by guys, for guys that I enjoyed doing and got great results with.  So if you think that muscle mass building programs are just for guys…. think again.

As a fitness professional, I’ve worked with many women and men and I can tell you that I don’t train my female clients and differently than I train my male clients.  A squat is a squat, a bicep curl is a bicep curl, a bench press is a bench press, etc.  Set and rep ranges remain the same.  The only difference between the two sexes is that in most cases, the men can lift heavier weights than women.

Don’t be a victim of one of the biggest fitness lie!!!

While there may be a school of thought out there that says men and women should train differently, at the end of the day, it all comes down to marketing and playing up one of the biggest myths and misconceptions that if a woman trains like a man and lifts heavy weights, that she will be become big and bulky and look like a man.

I beg to differ.  Not only do I like to lift heavy weights, I enjoy doing old school bodybuilding training.  Heck, I use muscle building supplements that are marketed to men. 

Psssst….. I’m going to let you in on another little secret.  It wasn’t until I started lifting heavier weights and began using sports supplements such as Creatine and Beta Alanine did my body start to take shape and change and this tid bit on information is for the guys as well as the girls. 

At the end of the day…..

Regardless of what type of training you’re doing whether it is general strength training, training for muscle mass, training for a marathon, training for a specific sport/activity, there really is no difference in how men and women should train for that particular endeavor.

Regardless of your training regimen, train hard, train with intensity, train with focus and give it everything you got.  You get out of it what you put into it.

We’ve all heard the saying “abs are made in the kitchen” and hands down, Metabolic Cooking is a great way to “make abs in the kitchen”!!!!

We all have goals.  Our goals are a reflection of our wants, dreams, hopes and desires.  While many of us state what our goals are, more often than not, our goals tend to become unfulfilled.

Goals will never fail you, not taking action will.

Goals can sometimes seem overwhelming and unachievable, but they really don’t have to be.  With this in mind, I’m going to give you a very quick, simple, solution on how to help make your goals achievable.

G.A.P.

Goals. Write down what your goal is and be very specific about it.  For example,  if your goal is to lose weight, don’t just say you want to lose weight.  Write down exactly how much weight you want to lose, along with a goal date of when you want to achieve that goal.  Take that goal and break it down further by saying how much weight you want to lose each month.

Action. In order to achieve a goal, you have to take action.  Make a list of what actions you need to take in order to achieve your goal.  If any of your action items overwhelm you, take the overall action item and divide it into a list of smaller steps.  Be very specific about your action items. If your goal is weight loss, then you know that you need to have a fitness plan of action as well as a nutrition plan of action.

Your fitness plan of action could include getting a gym membership, deciding what type of fitness program you want to follow, and scheduling time to workout.

Your nutrition plan of action could include planning your meals for the week, writing up your grocery list, planning when to go grocery shopping, preparing your meals in advance for the next day or next three days.

Priorities. Prioritize your action items.   If you don’t prioritize your action items, you’ll end up spinning your wheels.  Having a plan of action and knowing which action items you need to focus on first will help get you on the path towards arriving at your goal destination.

Let’s say that in order to lose weight, you know you need to exercise and part of that plan is to join a gym.  Before joining a gym, you may want to make a list of what services/amenities you are looking for in a gym.  What type of equipment does the gym have, what type of exercise classes do they offer, is the gym at a location that is easy and convenient for you to get to, does the gym offer hours of operation that is convenient with your schedule?  Once you know exactly what you want, it then makes it easier to go about choosing a gym that meets your criteria. 

Once you have decided on a gym and have joined, you can then start putting your fitness plan of action into action.

Here’s to making all your goals reality!  You can make it happen!!!

I admit I AM a gym rat and I love working out in the gym but not everyone does.   I also have a love, hate relationship with the gym, but my love for the gym over rides those aspects of a gym that can be quite annoying and make the gym experience less than desirable.

I do realize that not EVERYONE loves the gym, and if you don’t exactly have a love affair with the gym, is it possible to get a great workout at home?  The answer to that question is yes.

Losing 40 pounds of fat without stepping foot in a gym!
My good friend, Jackie, who has an amazing body, never had a great love for the gym like I do, and out of utter frustration, created a really great workout program specifically designed to get a great workout at home with minimal equipment, called Hot At Home – The Transformation Solution for People Who Hate the Gym.

Jackie and I have very similar stories.  We’re both the same age, and like me, once upon a time ago, she was flabby, frustrated and transformed her body.  Where our stories differ is that I transformed my body in the gym and Jackie transformed her body working out at home.

So, what did this gym rat do?  Although my preference would’ve been to do the workouts in the gym, I took on Jackie’s Hot At Home workout program and I gotta admit, I got a great workout and was challenged.

Click here to check out —–> Hot at Home

So, beyond being a great workout program you can do at home, what exactly is Hot at Home? 
Hot at Home is a system that gives you the freedom to get an effective fat loss workout in the privacy of your own home (no matter how small your home), on your own schedule, incorporating a specially formulated series of exercises using only a set of dumbbells and a couple of fitness bands.

There are over 40 weeks of workouts in “Hot at Home” so whatever you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced, there’s something for you.

If a gym isn’t in your budget, your schedule or if you just straight up hate the gym, want to get a great workout at home, I highly recommend you check out Hot at Home.

* Disclosure: If you happen to purchase anything I recommend in this or any of my communications, it’s likely I’ll receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, I only recommend stuff that I truly love, use and happily share with friends and family. If you ever have an issue with anything I recommend please let me know. I always have your back, and your growth and happiness in mind. – Shari 

Yes, I’m talking about sex and what I’m talking to you about are some of the feelings many single and married men and women have shared with me about their relationships and their sexuality.

Perhaps you’re feeling this way, too.  You feel like you’re not as attractive to the opposite sex, your spouse or partner as you once did.  Your body doesn’t look and feel the way you want it to during those bedroom moments.  When it comes down to gettin’ down, do you find yourself trying to hide your body in the dark, and not showing yourself off in all your glory with the lights on?

Ladies, have you all but given up on wearing those sexy Victoria’s Secret bra and panties? 
Guys, are those low rise designer briefs sitting in your underwear draw like a faded memory and have been replaced by your grandfather’s high rise non designer boring white briefs (aka the “tighty whities”)?

Being fit and healthy IS sexy and makes you feel sexy and alive!  

Let’s face it.  Your health and fitness and the way you feel about your body, can have a major impact on not only your sexuality, but the quality of your sexual experiences for you and your partner.

Are you ready to look better, feel better, have more energy, more sex appeal and better sex?  I’m going to share with you my tips on how you can bring sexy back into your life and your bedroom not only for the short term, but for the rest of your life.

Sexy food
If you want to bring sexy back short term with sexy foods, the foods you eat can affect how you feel, and how your body looks, and have you feeling not so sexy.  You want to avoid foods that are going to make you feel bloated, gassy, repeat on you, can cause bad breath and rob you of your energy.  Salt makes your body retain water which can leave you feeling sluggish, heavy and bloated. 

Eating fast food will make you feel anything but sexy so you definitely will want to avoid hitting up places like the golden arches and run as far away from the border as you possibly can.

Most restaurants use excessive amounts of salt so if you are dining out, be sure to drink lots of water to flush excessive sodium out of your body to reduce water retention.

Starchy carbohydrates can leave you feeling full and bloated so instead of ordering a stuffed baked potato as your side dish, order two vegetables side dishes instead.

It goes without saying that you should avoid peppers, onions and garlic as these food items will have you belching and will also cause bad breath, which isn’t sexy at all.

Don’t feel obligated to “clean your plate”.  When you eat a large meal, your digestive system has to work harder to digest your meal redirecting some of your body’s blood supply away from your brain to your gut.  This can drain your energy, make you feel tired, and can make a nap seem more appealing than a bedroom romp.

When thinking sexy foods, think naked.  You don’t want your food covered up in creamy sauces, or gravy.   You want to order your foods grilled or broiled. Think seafood, fish, chicken or steak.  Think green for your side dishes such as steamed broccoli, asparagus or green beans.  Think protein and vegetables on your plate.

Rich, decadent desserts such as cakes, pies and pastries can make you feel bloated and will rob you of your energy from the sugar crash.  Instead, opt for some fresh fruit or sorbet.

Sugary drinks and energy drinks can make you feel bloated and will rob you of your energy making you feel lethargic once the effects of the sugar wears off, aka….. the sugar crash.

Many of us will have alcohol to “loosen up and relax”, but if you’re not careful, alcohol can have very negative affects on your sexual performance. 

“… excessive alcohol consumption can decrease women’s DHEA, which is related to sex drive. In men, it decreases testosterone, which is the backbone to male sex drive, and can make vasopressin plummet, meaning it might be difficult to achieve an erection. Even touching your lover can lose its magic because alcohol reduces oxytocin, so the sense of touch is not as sensitive.” ~ Maryanne Fisher, Ph.D. Relationship between sex and Food

If you want to bring sexy back for the long term with sexy foods,  you will need to feed your body foods that will make you feel sexy every day and cut back or eliminate foods that don’t make you feel or look sexy.

Foods that make you look and feel sexy inside-out include eggs, beef, fish, chicken, whey protein, raw veggies such as broccoli, spinach, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh fruits such as apples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries and good fats such as avocados, walnuts, almonds, coconut oil, Macadamia Nut Oil and Olive Oil and nutrient-rich starches such as Yams, Sweet Potatoes, Quinoa, Brown Rice and Wild Rice.

Staying well hydrated with lots of water will help improve your energy levels, will help keep hunger at bay, and will help you feel less bloated flushing excess sodium and toxins out of your body.  Staying well hydrated with water keeps your skin from drying out and gives your skin a healthy glow which  is always attractive to the opposite sex.

Your sexual fitness
Your health and fitness plays a major role behind closed doors physically, mentally and visually.  While sex is very visual and mental, it is also very physical.  Your sexual fitness affects your sex drive, your sexuality, how comfortable you are with your body, how your body looks to your partner, how you view your partner’s body, your physical stamina and endurance.

Exercise releases endorphins, sex hormones, is a great way to relieve stress and elevates your mood.  Exercise also helps you feel better about your body.  The more you exercise, the better your body will look and feel.  Exercise also helps improve your energy level and you definitely want to feel energetic during sex.

For women, the link between exercise and sex has been explored by Cindy Meston and her colleagues. Their results indicate that working out – albeit vigorously – primes women’s bodies for sexual activity.

As for men, sexual experiences also benefit from exercise. …Men who exercise reported higher levels of sexual intimacy, more satisfying orgasms, and more reliable sexual functioning.  ~ Maryanne Fisher, Ph.D. – Exercise for Better Sex

Studies have shown that those who exercise on a regular basis have good self- esteem,  feel good about their bodies and not only have more sex, but have more enjoyable, satisfying sex.  If having more enjoyable, satisfying sex doesn’t get you motivated to get off the couch and to the gym, I don’t know what will!

Now that I’ve talked about the benefits of exercise when it comes to sex, it’s time for you to get that body moving. 

Getting sexy with a fit, healthy body
Let’s talk about the body.  Nothing can be more of a kill joy than feeling self-conscious about a flabby body and worrying if certain positions are going to make your body look less than desirable to your partner.  Let’s face it, muscle is sexy and there’s nothing sexier than a firm, lean body.

To tighten and firm up your body and rid yourself of body fat don’t make the mistake of relying only on cardio, although cardio can certainly enhance your workout program.  Cardio alone is NOT going to give you the firm body you want and give your body shape.  To tighten and firm your body, you want to lift weights.  Strength training builds muscle and gives your body shape.  Not only that, but strength training burns more calories and continues to burn calories post workout.

If you want to bring sexy back for the long term with fitness,  as with your diet (sexy foods), you will need to be consistent with your workouts so be sure to make the time and schedule fitness into your week.

To get the full benefits of a good strength training workout program, you want to workout at least 3 days a week 45-60 minutes.  If you choose to include cardio in your program, 20 minutes of cardio 3 days a week will help burn extra calories and will also help improve your stamina and endurance.

You can do a full body workout during each training session choosing 1 exercise per body part or you can do body split training focusing on specific body parts.  If you need a workout program to follow, check out my article, “Do you have a fitness game plan?”

Are you feeling sexy?
I’ve shared with you some short term and long term tips and tricks on how to bring sexy back in your life.  As you incorporate these tips and tricks into your life, and you start to look better and feel better and sexier, be sure to treat yourself to those things that make you feel sexy when you’re with your partner.

For me, personally, when I feel good and look good, I like wearing clothes that make me feel feminine and it also helps set the tone and the mood for the person I’m with.  Nothing makes a guy feel good and confident about his masculinity than when a woman dresses up for him and allows him to be the man he is.  It’s a win-win for both of you.

Guys, tell the woman you’re with how beautiful you think she is.  Nothing makes a woman feel sexier and better about herself when you tell her she’s beautiful. 

Now go and enjoy the company of that special someone in your life.

Resources:
The Relationship Between Sex and Food
Exercise for Better Sex
Sexual Desirability and Sexual Performance: Does Exercise and Fitness Really Matter?
How to keep on burning that fat off
Do You Have a Fitness Game Plan?

Who says muscle mass programs are just for guys?

Who says a muscle mass program isn’t going to give you a lean, sexy, shapely body?

Who says you can’t build muscle if you’re over 40?

After having had the opportunity to Beta Test the MI40 Workout Program,  I’m here to tell you that not only is the MI40 Program great for guys, but it’s great for women too regardless of your age.

As a fitness professional and fitness blogger, I try out and review all the latest workout programs and I know which ones are hype and which ones are the real deal.

Hands down, I give Ben Pakulski’s (aka B-Pak) MI40 Mass Building Program two thumbs up!!! I loved all the workouts in the program, loved how Ben’s use of NOS training really challenged me and helped take my body to the next level. 

In just a few short weeks, using Ben’s MI40 program, I gained 5 lbs of lean, sexy, shapely, metabolic, fat burning muscle which helped me re-shape my body.  I’m very happy with the results I got from this program and I know you will too! 

Click here to check it out —-> MI40 Program

What IS the MI40 Program?

First, MI stands for MASS INTENTIONS and INTENTIONS is Ben’s trademark technique that addresses the problem of not being able to go heavier and heavier with your weights unless you wish to carry more risk than reward.

Going heavier isn’t your best option, especially after a few years of lifting, if you want to stimulate muscle growth and you most look to other solutions. With INTENTIONS you change the angle of pushing or pulling by means of a technique almost imperceptible to an observer. You push inward or pull outward with your hands or feet as you perform an exercise.

In the MI40 DVD, Ben teaches you how to apply INTENTIONS to virtually every exercise, not an easy task if you’re untrained in biomechanics and kinesiology (Ben holds a degree from the University of Western Ontario in Kinesiology).

Over the years, I’ve often played around with grip widths and experiment with pushing and pulling angles, but with intentions you introduce a variable that can awaken dormant muscle fibers and stimulate them in fresh, new ways. Ben has used intentions to get more out of exercises like leg presses, squats, barbell rows, bench presses and overhead presses—really anything that has you pushing or pulling both limbs at once.

MI40 – What’s up with the number 40????

40 days!

40 second sets!

40 second rest periods

40 minute workouts!

40 exercises!

40 foods!

40 day meal plans!

NOS – What is it?
I’ll let Ben explain what NOS is.

For years, I had been searching for the best way to overload my muscles each and every time I go in the gym. I know you can relate to those days when you worked “hard” but still feel like you could have done more. Leaving the gym feeling like there was more in the tank or maybe getting home and regretting not pushing harder?! I CRAVED something that would ensure that my muscles are taken to their limit, and CREATE NEW GROWTH!

This is when I discovered NOS!

My training partner and I had been coming up with creative ways to inflict pain on each other during leg workouts for years. I remember daydreaming of ways to make workouts harder. My goal was to leave the gym knowing I had BLASTED every last muscle fiber, and to have my training partner talking about how he had never experienced muscle pumps and growth like this.

“Straight sets” just didn’t seem to do the trick anymore. Ya sure I felt a decent pump, but it just didn’t seem to be the type of intensity that I KNEW I needed to grow!

FACT: A “straight set” will NEVER cause the type of neurological adaptation, hormonal response, and thereby GROWTH that a NOS set will.

NOS WAS BORN ON A LEG PRESS!

Being a research junky I had always read about overloading the muscle and overloading the nervous system to stimulate new muscle and strength gains respectively. Time under tension was proven to be the number one factor correlated with muscle growth and overload!

Something clicked in my brain! Time under MAXIMAL TENSION! This had to be better than just time under tension!! And so, my GROWTH BABY was born!

If I could use the maximum amount of weight I could handle for strict form for the greatest amount of time possible, growth was inevitable! The only catch is, that ITS HARD!

NOS is something that I have been using religiously ever since. Perfecting its components. I use it to get ready for my contests and in my offseason. Straight sets are now a thing of the past.

The science behind NOS: Neurological Overload Set.

The NOS system has been specifically designed to ensure a maximal MUSCLE OVERLOAD! The greatest number of muscle fibers are broken down or exhausted. Taking your muscles to such an exhausted state also causes the highest possible release amount of growth hormones and growth factors within a working muscle! Without these, you can train all day and eat a perfect diet and expect ZERO growth. This is one of the main reasons why so many people train often, train “hard” and see minimal results. They never reach that “overload-anabolic state.”

Check out the MI40 Program!  <— You’ll love it as much as I did!!

* Disclosure: If you happen to purchase anything I recommend in this or any of my communications, it’s likely I’ll receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, I only recommend stuff that I truly love, use and happily share with friends and family. If you ever have an issue with anything I recommend please let me know. I always have your back, and your growth and happiness in mind. – Shari 

Physique athletes, aka bodybuilders, fitness and figure competitors have been wrongly stereotyped in the media as “meat heads”, “dumb” and “freaks of nature” existing on a diet of nothing more than chicken breasts, egg whites and oatmeal. 

Trust me, nothing can be further from the truth.  Physique athletes are some of the most intelligent people you’ll ever meet.  Many of them have a Master’s Degree in the Exercise Sciences, Nutrition, or have a Ph.D.  Many of them are good friends of mine and are some of the smartest people I know.

While yes, there are some “extremes” when it comes to the sport of professional body building, which my friend Will Brink talks about in his blog post, “Is Body Building Healthy?”,   for the most part, when it’s taken to the extremes at the pro level, it can be unhealthy, but that’s not the direction I’m going with this post.

While you may not want to be a fitness, figure or bodybuilding competitor, you do want to listen to what they have to say when they talk about fitness and nutrition.

Why????  Because they KNOW how to build a lean, healthy body through nutrition and exercise.  When it comes to stripping away body fat and having 6 pack abs, body builders are the go to gurus.  At least in my humble opinion

Bodybuilding transformed my body
Before I started reading body building books and magazines, I was a perpetual before picture.  I went to the gym all the time, I did tons of cardio, I did exercises that were designed to “tone” my body, (which, by the way, “tone” is word main stream magazines like to use which is total BS), I didn’t eat junk foods or sweets, I would go for hours on end without eating.  Despite my efforts, I was getting fatter, not leaner.

My efforts were based on what you would read in main stream magazines and hear on the news.  Little did I know that all this information was misinformation that was sabotaging my efforts to lose my belly fat. 

One day I was browsing the newsstand when the cover of a bodybuilding magazine caught my eye.  There on the cover was a picture of a very beautiful woman whose body was muscular, yet very sexy and feminine.   It was at that moment I knew exactly what my goal was and, whatever it is I was doing was not going to get me to that goal.

It was at that moment I bought my very first body building magazine.  It was Muscle and Fitness Magazine and the woman on the cover was Monica Brandt.

I couldn’t wait to get home and start reading the magazine.  Once I began reading, all the information in the magazine about fitness and nutrition was a total departure from what I had been reading in the mainstream magazines and stories I would hear on the news. 

Drastic changes were about to be made. Gone were the endless hours of long, boring, cardio, the low fat starvation diet and puny weights I had been lifting, and….. the mainstream magazines I had been reading.

Living the bodybuilding lifestyle
One of the things I learned early on is that the foundation to bodybuilding is living a very healthy lifestyle in mind, body and spirit. 

The diet of a body builder consists primarily of real, whole, nutritious, unprocessed foods – lots of protein, lots of vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruits in moderation.  It is the very foundation of what I’ve been eating for the past 10 years.  It is a very sustainable nutrition plan that not only nourishes my body, but has kept me lean, fit and healthy.

Lifting weights hard and heavy with intensity and focus is what will give your body shape by building muscle, boosting your metabolism, burning fat, increasing bone density and improving your strength.  You want to have a higher muscle to body fat ratio and the only way to do that is to lift weights and using weights that will challenge you in the 5-12 rep range, not doing 20+ reps.  Also, just doing cardio is not going to give your body shape.  Whether you’re male or female …… muscle IS sexy.

You would be surprised to learn that as I get older, I’ve been lifting heavier.   As a matter of fact, I’m currently Beta Testing an old school body building style workout program that was designed by Canada’s top IBFF Pro and I’m having a great time challenging myself with each workout.

To achieve results takes hard work, dedication, focus, commitment, motivation, learning from mistakes and not giving up.  This is the mindset you need to achieve results in all aspects of life regardless of what your goal is. 

It is this very foundation that has transformed not only my body, but my life.

I have been interviewed countless times on several different podcast shows.  It wasn’t until I was interviewed by Andre “Brick” St. Clair and Brian Cannone on The Body Shop Radio Show on FTNS Fitness Radio that the essence of who Shari Fitness is really came out.

This was perhaps THE BEST and MOST REVEALING  interview I’ve ever done.  Why?  Because these guys dug deep and really did their research on me.  Because of the research they did on me, they asked really great questions.   Questions I’ve never been asked. 

Let me put it to you this way, those who are in my inner circle of close friends will probably learn things about me they never knew after they listen to this interview.

I also have to say that my responses to the questions Bricks and Brian asked me are no hold barred.  There was no “candy coating”….. not that I’m never not honest and transparent, but let’s just say I had no filter. 

I cannot believe how much I revealed not only about myself, who my biggest influencers are in the world of fitness and business, my best health and fitness tips and tricks (Bricks called me the “47 Year Old Sensation”) all the way to some incredible nuggets of information on e-mail marketing, internet marketing and how to effectively use social media to create and build your brand. 

As I listened back to the replay of this interview, I realized that it also serves as a great introduction to my upcoming e-book, “Transformation Over 40″.  What Bricks and Brian did was take you from the person I was “before” I became Shari Fitness, through my transition into being Shari Fitness all the way to the person I am now ….. a fitness professional, a role model, a business woman, and an internet entrepreneur.

You’ll definitely find this interview to be fun to listen to, and chock full of information so you’ll definitely want to pay close attending and take notes.

Enjoy the interview.  Would love to hear your thought and comments on it

Click here to listen to the interview  —->http://ftns.co//podcasts/bs/bs-20110923.mp3

If you are having difficulty getting the podcast to download, click here and scroll down the page and you’ll see my name  —> http://ftns.co/the-body-shop/podcasts

I received an email from Fitness Business Strategist, Bedros Keuillian where he shared a video I am sharing with you in this blog post.

This video inspired me, motivated me, and got me fired up!  As an entrepreneur it got me fired up.  I have a goal, a vision, that is so clear and so strong.  This video made me pause and ask myself …. How bad do you want it???  How much am I willing to sacrifice to achieve my goal, to make my vision reality?

Then I started thinking about this video from a health and fitness point of view.  Everyone wants to lose weight, have a flat belly, look great and feel great.  Everyone knows that in order to achieve results, you have got to be consistent and committed to not just doing some exercise, but really working out…. working out with purpose and intensity. 

Everyone knows that in order to shed unwanted pounds and belly fat, you need to eat more vegetables, protein, fruit, nuts and seeds and less bread, pasta, sweets, snacks, sugary soft drinks and convenience foods. 

How often do you find yourself making excuses as to why you didn’t exercise, or why you ate that cookie or had that super size burger and fries from the drive through?  How badly do you really want to lose that layer of fat that sits around your belly? 

Watch this video and ask yourself,  “what do you really want and how badly do you want it?”