First, I am not a huge fan of weighing yourself in the first place.  Most people have a number in their heads that they want to be but let me ask you, if you loved the way you looked, would you really care what the number was??  I don’t think so.

Weighing yourself can be addicting because you think it gives your true feedback.  Well, it may be true what you weigh in that moment, but it does not tell you what you may have gained or lost, even if the number is the same.

Too many people use the scale to decide whether to be happy or not about their progress.  Let me give you an example of how the scale is misleading.  If you weigh 150 pounds when you are 25-30 and do no exercise or strength training for 10 years and still weigh 150 at 35-40, you have actually lost about 15 pounds of muscle and gained 15 pounds of fat.  But the number on the scale is the same so you think you are the same.  What has also happened is that your metabolism has lowered because of the loss of muscle and you might be subject to start gaining weight in the next few years and also have a hard time losing it.

So how should you use the scale for maximum benefit?  First, I would encourage you to take measurements and a body composition reading when starting any program or retesting yourself while on a program.  Depending on the amount of effort and change you have made in your life, I would suggest only weighing yourself once a month.  If you are doing some kind of short term weight loss or detox and want to know what has happened, do all the measurements before and after that time to compare.

People will often report losing inches over weight in the first month or two because of the body composition change.  The scale is only one number and it does not tell the whole story.  If you are at a weight you prefer but your bodyfat is 35% or more, you have to be extra careful not to miss a workout or not to overeat.  The higher your bodyfat, the easier it is to gain weight and harder it is to lose it.  Period.

When you weigh yourself, treat it like an experiment so make all the conditions as similar as possible.  I would recommend for women, picking a day when not on your cycle.  I would suggest it  be first thing in the morning, after you have gone to the bathroom, before you eat and naked.  Keep in mind, if you find you can see changes happening in your body, things are happening so don’t rely on the scale only to tell you what changes.

I often tell people just to get on the scale when they feel really great and know they are lighter or if they know they have gained weight and want to see how much.  But if you do weigh yourself, do it the same way and the same time each time to at least compare more accurate numbers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

JJ Flizanes is the Director of Invisible Fitness and Author of Knack Absolute Abs: Routines for a Fit and Firm Core. She was chosen as Best Personal Trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine and is a finalist for IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year 2010.  She is the co creator of the 6 Week Beach Body Program and the creator of the 90 Day Health and Body Makeover Program.  JJ’s mission is to help men and women feel gorgeous and confident in a bathing suit without starving themselves or overworking in the gym.

“What I respect about JJ Flizanes as a leader in the fitness industry is that she uses science as her background. In an industry full of hype and fads, I trust her depth of knowledge and matter of fact attitude. She is the real deal and am glad she is an advocate of smart and healthy living.” Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, board-certified nutritionist and best-selling author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth” and “The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer”

1. Goal- Vision
2. Plan
3. Tools and Support
4. Progression
5. Joint Integrity

Goal setting my seem boring and obvious to you- most people say,” I want to lose weight”  or “ I want to be healthy”.  But those goals are not specific enough. Take a few moments to take this quiz for yourself and your goals.

1. What does healthy (or whatever your goal is)mean to you?
2. Do you have measureable small steps to take on your road to a bigger goal?
3. What does that look like?
4. What does that feel like?
5. How will you get started?
6. How will you know when you have reached the first goal?
7. How important is it for you?
8. What obstacles you run into before trying to attain this goal?
9. What will you do differently this time to succeed?
10. What do you need in terms of support to make this happen?

Once you have thoroughly gone through these questions, you can then start to create a PLAN (step 2) to get to you goal.  Without knowing clearly what your exact vision is, creating a program might be a step too soon.  I use the analogy of shopping.  If you know you need to buy a dress  and you start out shopping for a dress- you will have many choices to pick from and it may take some time.  But if you know you need a dress for a formal occasion that will be outside and the temperature will be cool, know you have a style and what it needs to provide for you- so you can skip the summer dress section.  Make sense?  If you shoot for a goal you had 20 years ago when life was completely different, you might find it hard to commit to a program you did 20  years ago because your body, time frame and lifestyle may be very different.  “I want to lose weight” may sound direct and specific to you, but how much how soon?  What are you willing to do to get there? Once you get there, are you willing to do what it might take to maintain it?  Do you think you will be happier once that happens?  What if you aren’t happier?  Can you decide to be happy now?  AND then, if you are happy now, why do you want to lose weight or get healthier?

I am asking all of these questions instead of telling you what I think because it doesn’t matter what I think.  It matters what YOU think.  You make the rules for you and without motivation or a dedication to a goal, nothing is going to change.

If you have been on the weight loss roller coaster long enough and you have never really thought about your goals to this extent, please do it now.  It’s time to get off the rollercoaster and enjoy some success in your weight loss and exercise program!

Be sure to check out our Products and Programs page to get some immediate help on building your program!

JJ Flizanes is the Director of Invisible Fitness, Co Founder of the 6 Week Beach Body Program and the Author of Knack Absolute Abs: Routines for a Fit and Firm Core.  800 571 5722

I am sure you can relate.

My refrigerator was almost empty and I had a few random things to work with.  So I created a new soup in this house:  Pork Vegetable.

I have never had it and I have never made it. So to the stove I went with my creativity and random ingredients.

I used:

• 1 large red onion
• 2 medium red potatoes
• 1 cup of frozen corn ( that was in a container from an ear we cut who knows when)
• 4 stalks celery
• 3 roma tomatoes
• ¼ c medium salsa
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 pork filets frozen
• Onion salt
• Dried parsley
• Mineral salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

I sauteed all the veggies cut up in the olive oil.  I started with just onlon and then kept the heat on as I chopped and added to the pot.  Once all veggies and salsa were in with oil, I added the pork cut into small pieces and cooked it a bit longer.  Once I could see it starting to cook, I filled the pot with water and brought it to a boil. I boiled the mixture for a few minutes and then simmered for 20.

My husband loved it and I spiced it to taste so feel free to add what you like to it!

Here are some fun facts that aren’t so fun about detoxing and why we need to detox our bodies. There are over three new chemicals introduced into the planet each day.  In fact, we enter a world with over 200 chemicals in our body.  The environmental working group found that samples of blood taken from the umbilical cord of newborns contain an average of 200 chemicals that can cause cancer, brain damage, birth defects and other serious illnesses.  Now although our bodies do have a natural detoxification system, it is necessary to assist our liver and our body at least twice a year so that it can work more effectively to eradicate these toxins from our bodies.  I recommend 4 times a year on our 6 Week Beach Body program.

Step 1: Cleaning House. I want to talk about cleaning out your house, but I want to do it in a way that has you think about energy.  If you’re in a room full of people that are very happy and very positive, you know that you’re eventually going to feel happy and positive because you’re going to “calibrate” to the people around you because they’re going to lift you up.  You’re going to want to be at their level.  Not only because feeling good feels good and having positive energy feels good, but because you’re in the minority and the dominate energy in the room is happy.  So you will find yourself sort of sliding up the scale to feeling better just because of the people that you’re surrounded by.

Now on the opposite side of that of course if you’re in a good mood and you walk into a room full of very upset angry people you can pretty much guarantee that you, over time, whether you ever get to the level of anger and negativity as they are is not important but you will definitely slide down the scale from where you are which was happy to the dominate energy in the room which is negative.  It’s the same thing in your body and it’s the same thing in your environment.  When it comes to your space (office, home, work), de-clutter, move things around to shift the energy and identify any energy vampires in your environment and eliminate them!

Step 2: Your Kitchen. In your kitchen, I want you to be really honest with yourself and look in your kitchen and cabinets.  I want you to identify your stress-eating foods, your boredom foods and the snack foods.  If you were on my 6 Week Beach Body Program, I would be telling you to pack it all up and give it away. I’m not a big fan of wasting food and I definitely am not encouraging anyone to waste food.  You have the option of throwing out the things that you know you want to get rid of or the alternative choice would be to package it all up and take it to a friend’s house or donate it.

Step 3: How many days? How long should the detox last? The detox program I facilitate on our 6 Week Beach Body Program has a duration of nine days. Some detoxes last 14 days or even 30. I suggest starting with 9 and working your way up depending on your goals for a detox.

What is the cost? Of course doing a detox will cost something to get the proper products and supplements but you should think of this as your food budget for 9 days. You would need to eat for 9 days so use that money to invest in a good detox program. There are a few books out there about detoxing, one of them I used in helping me to create the one for our program and it’s called The 7 Day Detox Miracle by Bennett and Barrie.If you are doing this on your own, let me give you some tips.

Step 4: What to avoid?

• dairy,
• caffeine
• alcohol
• sugar
• meat
• fried foods
• packaged foods
• salt

Step 5: What to include?

• a protein shake
• eggs
• salmon and low mercury fish
• fruits
• vegetables
• rice
• kefir
• nuts,
• Seeds
• green tea
• and lots of water!

You want to sweat everyday for at least 10 minutes, sleep 6-8 hours and focus on something that keeps you inspired and your mind occupied.  When people do a detox for the first time, they often focus on a lack of food or restrictions causing unnecessary stress.  However, I am sure we can all find days in our lives where we didn’t eat because we were too busy- it’s all about the mental focus.

For more info on the 6 Week Beach Body Program, visit http://www.6weekbeachbody.com or call JJ at 800 571 5722 x 84 to find out how to get your detox started today!

First off, what is a vision board? Many of you already know and probably already have one but for those of you who do not, it’s a place where you put photos or quotes of things you would like to have in your life.  Some people cut them out of magazines and some people just throw up words or phrases that they create on the computer.

When The Secret came out, vision boards were a hot topic.  It’s how I manifested my husband in 3 weeks actually.  Jeanne knew this and wanted me to share my experience with their patients to inspire them to do the same and enjoy success in all areas of their lives- esp health and wellness.

How to do a vision board:

• Find and cut out pictures that inspire you
• Arrange and attach them to a cork board or posterboad
• Be as creative as you like or as simple as you like

How to USE a vision board:

Putting the pictures on the board will excite you as you do it.  The good, positive feelings you have will help to raise your energy and vibration causing you to become a magnet for higher energy things.

But once the board is up on the wall and you see it everyday, the effect will wear off unless you use it.

• Stand in front of your creation
• Pick 1 picture to focus on
• Imagine yourself IN the picture
• Concentrate on the smells, the sounds, and the feelings of touch or air on your body
• Focus on this until you FEEL something in your body for 1-2 minutes
• Open you eyes and carry these good feelings with you all day long

Vision boards are like exercise- they only work if you practice!

for guidance and coaching on your weight loss, exercise or wellness vision board be sure to start by visiting www.6weekbeachbody.com and get your free tools and inspiration and call us at 800 571 5722

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Family time does not have to mean sit and eat.  Quality time together can be spent doing other activities.  Try to clear the table while people are slowing down to take away temptations of over eating.
2. Traditional meals probably contain high calorie ingredients such as pasta, butter, oil, cheese and sugar.  Be creative and consult some low fat cooking sources on alternative ingredients that will cut several hundred calories per dish using items like egg whites, applesauce, fruit paste, lighter versions (not fat free) and etc.  No need to tell the family–they probably won’t notice!
3. Add some new dishes to the dinner table of salads, vegetable, fruits and broth-based soups.  These are generally healthier choices so you can fill up in these and eat less “empty calorie” stuff.
4. Schedule in your exercise in the mornings.  Ask a friend or family member to join, it will help with accountability/
5. Learn to say “No Thank You”.  You do not have to try every dish prepared or eat all that you take.
6. While in preparation, only sample the food that is necessary.  You could potentially eat 500-800 calories in sampling before you sit down to eat.  Save yourself for the meal only to save some unwanted calories that may sneak in!
7. Eat ONLY until you are satisfied, NOT full.  If you sit at the dinner table for more then 2 hours, you are probably going to eat more then you need to because it’s there.
8. Keep a log of ALL of your exercise and food.  The average amount of calories for an adult between the ages of 30-55 who participates in moderate activity of 2-3 hours a week is 1800 (women)-2300 (men).  The average holiday meal including drinks can average around 2800-3200.  Logging keeps you aware of why the scale goes up and down during this time of year.
9. Create a 15 min exercise routine that you can do every during the busy times. Add things like jumping jacks, jump rope, bridge, push ups, etc.  You want to have tools outside of the gym!
10. Holidays are stressful times and sometimes depressing for some.  Exercise boosts your body’s production of serotonin, the body’s “happy drug”.   Don’t let stress win!  If you need some support hire a trainer or a coach.  You’ll be glad you had the discipline and you will be ahead of the game for the New Year!

Get your FREE copy of the 30 Day JUMP Start program workbook and audio on my site!  http://www.invisiblefitness.com

This is the perfect time to print it and use it as a daily log til the end of the year.  It can motivate you as well as be a gentle reminder that the holiday is just a DAY, not a season.

In the last few weeks, I have been busy traveling around in meetings, business trainings and new clients. I have been on different time zones, I have had irregular sleep and I haven’t really slowed down all that much.

So I have adrenal fatigue.  It’s a mild case compared to when I had it last year after my wedding when I came home from the honeymoon and my body crashed literally for a month or more.  Taking a walk got my heart rate up!  I could tell by how my body was responding and acting that it had taken on too much stress and it would need some time to heal.

I haven’t gone that far this time but for sure my body was telling me to slow down.  I have actually started on some bio-identical hormones as well and will show you everything I am doing and why so you can get a first-hand look at it all.

The bottom line for most of us is- WE ARE NOT MACHINES.  And for us women, we are not MEN.  Men have more testosterone and can “hunt the deer” for many more hours than we are supposed to.  So when women push and drive like men, we burn out quickly.

I have always had a lot of energy but I do push myself mostly because frankly, I can.  But my body pays the price and at least I love myself enough to catch it early and be proactive about it.  If I didn’t, I’d have no one to blame in 5-10 years when I have chronic pain or a disease or sickness.  What you do now creates your future in every way.

Here is me getting needled!  It’s my #1 favorite way to take care of myself in addition to eating well and exercising!

Here is a list of all my favorite local acupuncturists!

Heather Lounsbury 310.259.5165  For anyone in Santa Monica, Hollywood, West LA

Maria Ravis: 310 640 2129  For anyone in Southbay area (El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach)

Bill Flanagan: 949 244 5170 for anyone in Orange County (Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna )

Shaheed Abdullah:  310 993 6903  for anyone in San Diego area

We’ve been talking a lot on the 6 Week Beach Body Program about what to do after you lose the 5-15 pounds to keep it off and to keep getting results.  I have come up with 5 “tricks” that I realize I practice all the time that you may not.

1. A Shake a day- I have about 4 brands that I recommend for people to replace 1 meal with a high quality, nutrient dense shake.  Most people rush one meal at least and would benefit both with sustained energy and reduction of empty calories by having one shake a day.  You can have it at any meal- in fact last week I replaced dinner with a shake because I didn’t feel like cooking and my husband was out with his family for dinner.  Breakfast is the most common time to have a shake but all that matters is when it is best for you.

2. Exercise with a friend- not for every workout, but maybe 1-2 a week, schedule exercise with a partner.  I find it very efficient to have girl time or friend time WHILE you are hiking, power walking, swimming, dancing or doing a circuit training. When I was dancing more, it was built into my life several times a week and I loved that. You will make it more important if you schedule with someone and you will be diligent in making it happen.

3. Keep starch to once a day-breads, rice, pasta, crackers may have a bit of fiber but generally are calorically dense foods.  Forget the food pyramid and adopt a caveman way of eating with protein, nuts, seeds , fruits and veggies.  If you love your starch, have it only once a day.

4. Eat your biggest meal at lunch-We need the most amount of calories generally in the middle of the day. Again, I said generally so if you sleep til noon and work til 11, you will need to adjust your “middle of the day” time.

5. Include cardio and resistance training in your workout-because alot of cardio does not build muscle, you only benefit with calories burned from cardio while you are doing it and maybe up to 15-20 minutes after.  I call cardio your short term plan.  You burn calories in the now.  But it won’t increase your metabolism.  Resistance training is your long term weight los plan that helps you keep the weight off, maintain a high metabolism and keeps you firm and tone looking.

Please let me know if we can help you with any of the above information.  Remember: Health is a habit- not an event.

Interested in our 6 Week Beach Body Program?  We have a free call coming up soon!  http://www.6weekbeachbody.com

I think it was last week that I crawled into bed after reading a few blogs that I told my husband of my epiphany.  It wasn’t “really” an epiphany; it was more of an awareness that I was ready to confront and admit.  I have been trying to be someone else in certain areas of my life.  And it’s not comfortable!

There are some people out there that I want to model- I think we all need role models!  But I have to “keep in check” that I don’t want to model EVERYTHING about them. It’s usually just one aspect.

This is a critical lesson for me at this point because I am shopping my book for an agent.  And I need to know EXACTLY who I am and who I speak to. As well as whom I am NOT.  For instance, there is a famous trainer that has claimed the name “America’s Toughest Trainer”- you probably know who I mean.

Well along with that title, you get an idea of attitude, beliefs, methods and how you may react to that.  I call it the Boot camp Trainer.  I am not THAT and nor do I respond to that- ever.  For me, “boot camp” trainers treat everyone the same, they yell and scream and push you til you drop.  People “need” them to work hard so it’s basically a glorified baby-sitting position with the ego added benefit of feeling like a star who is running the show.  THAT IS NOT ME.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is the “yogalates” style training and classes that people claim to be more spiritual and centering (I have met some of the RUDEST Yoga people in the world!!  I once went to a grand opening yoga studio in Santa Monica and they were bumping in to me left and right and not one person ever looked back to say, excuse me or I am sorry!)  There is an attitude that can come with this “holier than though” essence that some spiritual posers have.  It’s such a hypocrisy.  And THAT is a pet peeve.  I am not THIS either.

I fall somewhere in the middle.  I believe in working smarter AND harder but efficiently.  I practice have balance in life in ALL areas and the “how you do something is how you do everything” mentality. I believe in having fun and “unplugging”.  I believe in a well rounded program that looks at everything and gives it equal value- workouts, food, stress, hormones, relationships, etc…

So what do I call myself?????????????????

What is a sexy, sellable, “I want that too” title that I can give myself that those of you who are also turned off by the 2 other extremes that I mentioned would be attracted to? I need some help.

It’s my brand.  It’s me.  I offer A LOT of value on many levels and I change my client’s lives, not just their bodies.  So how do I convey that in a 3-4 word title?

Would love any feedback…..the journey of self definition… into a brand.  I love what I do!

What I do is http://www.invisiblefitness.com

http://www.6weekbeachbody.com

http://www.90dayhealthandbodymakeover.com

800 571 5722

1. Adrenal Fatigue and Hormones
2. Realistic expectations of the exercises you choose
3. Progression and Adaptation
4. Tools- HR Monitor
5. Physiology of resistance training

Now let me explain what this all means.

1.      Adrenal Fatigue: common symptom is severe fatigue.  Factors include high stress, aging, decline of hormones, lack of rest and balance. This is the #1 mistake people make in creating their programs because they do not know or take into account how the hormones and adrenals affect your results. Cortisol, your flight or fight hormone, will keep your body in a holding pattern and not release fat, water or weight if it’s elevated.  Simultaneously, if coritsol is high, your DHEA is low.  DHEA is the hormone needed to be the building block for your sex and thyroid hormones.  If your DHEA is low, that may throw off the production of all your other hormones.  If you have adrenal fatigue,  you should build you program around correcting that and supporting the changes that need to occur so your body can rebalance, replenish and release.

2.      Realistic Expectations of the exercises you choose: If you want weight loss, doing pilates or Hatha yoga for hours a week can leave you very frustrated that you are not seeing the results you expected.  These exercises are not the most efficient choice for weight loss for several reasons.  This does not mean you could not experience weight loss if you are adding other things and attending  to your diet, but generally speaking these are not “efficient” choices for a weight loss goal. Another example is when I ask clients if they do legs, they say ” I run”.  Cardio work is not resistance training.  Most cardio programs will not build muscle in your legs.

3.      Progression and Adaptation: Once you start a program, your body will change to adapt to the new circumstances ( the exercises). Depending on the degree of the intensity of the new environment will determine how much and how fast the body changes.  But regardless if you are adding a little or a lot, once you adapt, you slow down or stop seeing results.  In order to keep getting results, you have to keep progressing in your program.  There are several factors, including the FITT principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type), that can be altered and adjusted to keep getting results.  Too often, I have clients who tell me they have been doing the SAME exercise routine for 3-5 years or more.  You can’t expect your body to change when it’s obviously good at what you do!  If you want change, you have to progress.

4.      Tools- HR Monitor: I can’t stress this one enough.  How do you know how hard something is for your body?  We often use RPE, Rate of Perceived Exertion, to determine how hard we think we work.  But this is a very flawed method because it will differ greatly from person to person. Ex athletes will have a higher threshold and maybe over train.  Non athletic people may have a low threshold and under train. The consistent gauge is a heart rate monitor that can tell you exactly what is going on inside of you minute by minute.  How do you know when it’s time to increase the intensity? Cardio training prescriptions are based on some of the prior points made here so one size does not fit all.

5.      Physiology of Resistance Training: I have been meeting with people who have no idea how to build muscle- unless you studied it, most people do not know. One person thinks that using light weights while doing aerobics will do it- nope.  Another thinks that lifting heavy and fast for 20 seconds will do it- nope.  There is a very specific science called physiology that explains the amount of intensity and time needed to change the muscle cells. Just like in point #3, as the body adapts, we need to progress.  Progression in resistance training to keep stimulating muscle growth is determined by a few things.  Again , using the FITT principle, applying #1 from this list and of course lifestyle are 3 main factors in designing an appropriate  and effective resistance training program.  How you know if it’s working?  You are losing body fat and increasing lean mass- this could still look like weight loss only.  You would need a before and after for body fat tests to compare.

Believe it or not, I have just scratched the surface of this topic.  Stay tuned for part #2 which is focused more for the population that is not consistent with exercise, lacks motivation and discipline and is unsure where to start.

Here is the 45 minute audio recording we did to cover this topic more in depth:

5 Biggest Mistake- Part 1 call replay

For an individual consultation on what you should do to get started or to uncover what factor is getting in your way and what to do about it, please call J.J. Flizanes at 800 571 5722 or check out http://www.invisiblefitness.com

Credentials and accolades follow the name of JJ Flizanes wherever it appears and for good reason. JJ is the creator of world-class fitness programs and routines, such as the Foundations Program for the New York Sports Club and Invisible Fitness^TM. What sets JJ apart from her Celebrity Fitness counterparts lies in her anatomically centered routines, which protect overworked and aging joints from catastrophic failure. Named by Elite Traveler Magazine as their 2007 Global Black Book pick of Best Personal Trainer in Los Angeles , JJ has been lauded by Shape Magazine as one of the top 6 fitness trainers in 2003.   JJ has been featured in many magazines including Muscle and Fitness HERS, Elegant Bride, Fitness Magazine, E Pregnancy Magazine to name a few. Her television appearances include LA’s KTLA, CBS and NBC. She appeared every week last summer on YOURLA on NBC in Los Angeles and has been heard on The Aware Show with Lisa Garr in local radio. She is the Fitness Expert for the Nourishing Wellness Medical Centre and an in house expert for FKC International.   In January of 2007, JJ launches her most challenging and exciting program to date: The 90 day Health and Body Makeover, in which candidates take on creating a new body and lifestyle for life. Invisible Fitness offer fitness training, fitness coaching, workshops & seminars, and corporate programs. www.invisiblefitness.com

Click here to view the embedded video.