You want to lose weight.  So you clean up your diet and you start to exercise.  This sounds like a good plan.

But let me ask you- how did you get to where you are now?  Are you an emotional eater?  Are you someone who does not exercise regularly and lack motivation?

Many people start on a weight loss journey focused on temporary change.  “If I go on a diet, I can lose the weight”.  You have all heard this before.

But let’s look at from an attraction point of view.

If you focus on weight loss, you set up a resistance to food, exercise and a lifestyle change.  Because you are only focused on a number and not the behavior, the thoughts, or the feelings associated with the weight you gained.

As you clean up your diet and exercise more, you may lose the weight you want.  But because you never addressed the beliefs or feelings around how you live, eat and exercise, 9 times out of 10 you gain the weight back.

Problem #1: Temporary change.  You want fast weight loss, you change lots of things.  Then you feel deprived because it was too much change too soon, you consider it a diet and then you rebel and “celebrate” once you have reached your goal-which usually starts the habits and patterns that have you gain the weight right back.

Solution: Clean up your life, not just your diet.  Start to “think thin” like we do on our 6 Week Beach Body Program.  Download the 4 week plan of Fit 2 Love and REALLY do the exercises especially around the food.  Make one change every month so you make it part of your daily or weekly routine.  Post a comment on this blog so I can give you more specific action steps to implement into your life.  I AM a problem solver so let me help you!

Problem #2: Delaying your happiness.  “I’ll only be happy when I lose 10 pounds”.  This statement goes against your inner being and your higher self so your body and spirit say “ then you will never be happy “  and your body says “ if you can’t love me the way I am, then I am NOT changing for you!”  Your “then” never comes.  There is always something else.  You set yourself up to fail IMMEDIATELY and delay your happiness and results in the process.  Accepting yourself where you are, as you are, right now is the ONLY way to make a real shift.  Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time until you and your body go back to the exact state it was in before or worse.

Solution: Find appreciation with your body and health right now. When you do that, you release resistance and your body will shift ad change.  Your body will appreciate the love and positive attention and respond JUST like a person.  You can download the free Fit 2 Love 4 Week Plan and start changing your relationship with your body and practice being happy NOW.  Let’s face it, one of the only reasons you want to lose weight in the first place is because you THINK you will be happy once you get it.  So pretend you have it now and stop delaying the HAPPY PART!  It gets you no where to hold your ground of unhappiness.  You practice that and that’s what you are good at.  So when you get to “happy”, you might not stay there long because you are too good at “unhappy”.

**What you lose, you can find. Don’t concentrate on loss but on transformation and releasing.**

JJ Flizanes is the author of Fit 2 Love: How to Get Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually Fit to Attract the Love of Your Life and Knack Absolute Abs: Routines for a Fit and Firm Core.  She was named best personal trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine and is the Director of Invisible Fitness. JJ’s passion is helping men and women get results with their body and love on the outside as well as the inside. View JJ on video on YouTube or visit her blog at http://www.jjflizanes.com.

So , tomorrow is the last day of my cleanse…thank God! It was easy in the beginning and then got harder toward the end because I grew very bored and hungry!

I do feel SO much better though, more emotionally stable, not so many ups and downs (as JJ likes to call my “drama”).   I feel lighter and I’m eager to see how much weight I have lost.  I wasn’t 100% good on the cleanse.  Mid-way through it brought up a lot of old stuff about dieting and restricting food.  This goes back to as early as around 11 years-old for me.  I remember being at a friend’s slumber party and we were given small cups of trail mix and there I was picking the M&M’s out of the trail mix because I was on a diet and couldn’t eat them.  Yuck. I hate that memory.  I was a kid! Eat the M&M’s at the slumber party for goodness sake!!!!

So, I had a couple of times where I ate, mostly over sadness, or out of boredom or out of rebellion or I was just plain hungry!

I will say, though, that these shakes that JJ has me on are FABULOUS! Even after the cleanse I’m going to continue to use them as my dinner because I get home so late in the evenings and they are so yummy and filling!

Things are generally good. I’ve starting my gym workouts again and I feel so much better already.  Exercising is the key for me to feel better all around.

On the dating front: NADA.  Mr. “almost was the dog killer” is nice but I’m not feeling the connection so I will continue to look.  I am focusing more on me becoming the person that I want to be in relationship with and that feels good.  It’s making me take more risks and be more active.

One day at a time. The weigh-in is tomorrow. Will check back then.

Just a quick check-in.  For me this detox has been tough.  I think that the detox of fruits, veggies and nuts would have been fine had I not had all of the additional stressors the past two days.  I’m PMSing so my body is craving meat meat meat! Like no one’s business and I’ve had major work stressors come up.

Oddly enough, I’m doin’ pretty damn good besides the fact that all of my co-workers looked like eggs because all I can think about is the hard boiled eggs that I get to eat tomorrow morning. Ok OK! I cheated and had two tonight! Geesh-you got it outta me!

That’s an interesting thing though that my cravings have shifted in, literally, less than 48 hours from that of sugary things to protein.  Good start!

I was so overwhelmed with stress that I finally did what JJ has been telling me to do which is step back and let some things go.  I realized that I can’t control everything and I  don’t know if it’s because I’m exhausted or what but I give! UNCLE!  Today I just let things go and released a lot. I can’t tell you how it happened or what I did to make it happen. Hypnosis?  It was just a thought and then my body followed and I felt much lighter.

On the dating front  HE IS NOT THE DOG KILLER! YEAAAA!!!!  We have been emailing and he says he’s going to call tomorrow. We’ll see.

Nighty-night.

Here’s a review of each step. We covered #1 and #2 thus far.

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

Tools and Support.  What do I mean by tools?  First off, ways to measure your progress would be where I would start.  That could be as simple as a tape measure to do some circumference readings and then body fat using the NAVY guidelines and website on line. http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy

When you step on the scale to see you have lost 5 pounds, you do not know where that  5 pounds came from.  It could be fat, water or muscle.  I think it’s very important to test body fat MORE than body weight because ideally you want to keep all your muscle, lose any extra water but concentrate on using the fat as energy so your percentage keeps reducing.

Where do you workout?  If you like going to the gym, they have plenty of tools there for you to use.  If going to the gym is something you would rather NOT do, you can have very similar (but cheaper) tools at home or in your office.  A ball, mat, tubing, free weights, etc.  These are all tools.

You body weight, if you know how to apply it and use it properly, is a tool as well.  My biggest delight is taking men off the machines, having them do a workout with body weight and show them where they are weak (or not using the muscles).  Don’t underestimate body weight- esp if you are tall, big boned or broad shouldered.

Now my favorite tool for cardio- a heart rate monitor!  Why?  I have heard other trainers talk about high intensity training and using RPE (rate of perceived exertion).  I love RPE but here is the thing with PERCEPTION- it’s skewed.

An athlete will push themselves hard because they are used to it.  A non athletic person will feel their body and maybe not push as hard but THINK they are working as hard as they can.  If your threshold has not been challenged and your comfort zones expanded then you might not be working hard enough to change your body to the next level.

I had a client once for many years who has trained with dozens of trainers.  When we started working, I trusted that she was pushed hard so her perception was accurate to her fitness level and capabilities.  I’d find her RPE of “8” (out of 10) for each exercise and train her there.  I’d ask her at the next session if she felt anything the next day or 2 days later.  She replied no for the first 2 months.

This boggled my mind.  So after getting to know her better, I decided to increase her weight beyond her comfort zone and showed her what a REAL “8” was supposed to feel like.  From there on, her fitness level changed and she got great results.

This example was using RPE with strength training so let’s get back to heart rate.

I had a man in his 70’s that is a super successful businessman.  Great guy, not in touch with his body at all. His perception was that he was working hard but could not FEEL when his body was in crisis mode.  Luckily, he had a heart rate monitor on and I could see that he was hovering at 170+ while on the floor!!!  This is very dangerous.

Without the monitor, I may have pushed him harder.  I am glad I did not because that could have ended very badly.  You need to know where you are regardless of what you are doing.  When your fitness level increases, the same activity does not get your heart rate up to the same level anymore.  This is good news—it means you are more fit.  AND it’s time to change the exercise or something about it to get back into your zone.

Let’s review my tool suggestions so far:

1. Tape measure
2. Body fat test
3. Equipment for exercising
4. Heart Rate monitor

There are more but by now you get the point.  Let’s look at support now.

1. Family member or friend to be accountable to
2. Trainer, Nutritionist, Doctor to be accountable to and to create your program
3. Having the house or office set up to reinforce your goals
4. Gathering with like minded people to keep you on track
5. Using hypnosis to change your mindset or therapy to breakthrough some patterns
6. A journal  to use every day
7. A rewards system set in place to celebrate each step of your progress
8. And more!

As you know, we offer most of these things on our 6 Week Beach Body Program- that now you can get in download form, the entire program for only 97$! If you need some tools and support, you might want to consider investing into YOU today and get a jumpstart on summer! http://www.6weekbeachbodyinabox.com

“I definitely can see how my new habits have taken root. This is the most fabulous part of the whole program–feeling that there is knowledge and confidence within myself now and creating life long changes for the better. I have lost a total of 14 pounds, 10 inches and I am now automatically making healthy choices– this program works!“

Cindy Browne, Cincinnati Ohio

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

Plan.   Yes, you need a PLAN.  If I decided to drive from LA to Lake Tahoe (a place I have never been before), I would need a map to show me where it was in relationship to where I am now.  Then, I would plan out a route to drive, considering that there may be multiple choices with factors that would influence me to choose the route I do.  Let’s now translate this to your body.

You have a goal.  Let’s assume it’s weight loss right now.  You want to lose 35 pounds and get to a weight you have not been at or seen in 25+ years.  Technically for you, this is new territory.  How will you get there? What is the plan? What happens at each stage? Do you know the stages?

On a road trip, you stop for gas.  On a weight loss plan, you stop for “progression” (we will cover this more in part 4).  On a road trip, you may run into a closed road or dangerous conditions that force you to choose another road that you didn’t plan on. (thank God you have a map!)

How many times have you tried to lose weight before and hit a road block and stopped?  Do you know what to do when you hit a road block?  Most people don’t (that is why they hire a trainer or coach) so they get frustrated, give up and decide they have failed.  This doesn’t have to be the case.  There is hope.

What elements do you need in your fitness/health map?  I teach a formula called the FITT principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type).  It’s outline in the 90 Day Health and Body Makeover Program, the 6 Week Beach Body in a Box and I believe in the 30 Day Jump Start (which you can get for free at http://www.invisiblefitness.com/” so I won’t go into all the details here.

Besides using the FITT principle properly, elements for your map are:

1. Resistance Training- we all need it.  Why?  It’s the basis of your metabolism.  The more active tissue you have (muscle) the more calories you burn (and can eat!) This is also your  “long term investment plan” for keeping weight off.
2. Cardiovascular- we all need this as well for keeping blood pressure low, improving cholesterol and all heart related functions and it’s the best way to burn calories in a short amount of time.
3. Food Log- Daily Diet Plan-  And I don’t mean “diet” as in “ give stuff up” , I refer to diet as in “what do you eat?”
4. Rest and Relaxation- we all need this to keep our adrenal hormones in balance (having adrenal fatigue causes weight loss resistance) as well as allow our muscles and body to “repair and rebuild” from our exercise.  The body changes in REST, not in work.  If you are working too much or too long, you never allow the adaptation to occur.

This would be what you need to address to START the map.  The next 3 weeks will give you a chance to see what other factors can help you make stages and “alternative routes” to your map so you get where you want to go this time!

Other questions to ask yourself about your plan:

1. How long/ how much time do I have to do each one of these steps a week- what is realistic for me?
2. Where will I do my workouts?  Will I have more than one choice?
3. Do I know which exercises are best for me for cardio?  Can I do more than one?  Do I have to do more than one?
4. Do I know if I am efficiently building muscle?  What exercises do I do now that build muscle?
5. Have I tested my bodyfat?  How would I?  How often should /will I retest it to see if what I am doing is working?
6. If I am super busy, what is the more important thing for me to focus on right now?  What will get me the most results?

If you have been struggling for a long time, as many people do, I hope you realize by now that I have options of how to help you!!  The first, a “do it yourself” program, is now available for less in download form!!  http://www.6weekbeachbodyinabox.com can be purchased so you can start TODAY with the download only choice.  This gives you step by step instructions and includes the breakdown to a fitness program you can do anywhere and includes the 90 Day DVD with 25 exercises on it.

I offer coaching over the phone and even personal training on Skype!  Check out one of my star clients:  

Click here to view the embedded video.

And of course, if you are local in CA, I can offer you a 5 package of sessions  to build a program for you to do on your own.  Call for details and to see if there is room in the schedule.  800 571 5722

“JJ helped me to understand that adding extra cardio workout is not what my body needs. 4 sessions with JJ has helped me more to shape my body and  to drop 5 pounds. Can only imagine how much more I can lose if I incorporate better eating habits. Thanks JJ “ Anita Trujillo

I am going to list the 5 steps up front so you know what’s coming.  But I invite you to do this step by step each week so you can build a custom exercise program for you.

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

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.

1. As a cardio or more intense leg exercise warm up.
2. To get your heart rate up before a brisk walk or jog
3. In conjunction with a leg workout
4. As a 15 min cardio blast
5. For knee problems, you can replace the lunge with this.  The forces are different on the joint so tapping back and stepping up are easier and less “grinding” then a lunge. (I am not saying lunges are bad!)
6. This will build some muscle.  Depending on your fitness level, how tall you are and how much “mass” you have will determine the amount of resistance.

I use it at least once a week myself because it gets my heart rate up and prepares my legs for more difficult exercise.

Here is video #1 which is most of the explanation

Here is video #2 to make sure people were doing it correctly!

So why am I confused?  2 weeks ago I spent 7 days with a business colleague, who I will introduce to you later this year, who is launching her product and asked me to contribute.  I love to help people- that it why I am in this business.  Truly.

When I get a testimonial from a client whose life is now BETTER because I have touched it somehow, I automatically get energized to go out and find more people who need help!

I came away from my time with her and felt certain that I was on the right path but not sure what the next step to take was.  Can you relate at all?

Most of you who are entrepreneurs will totally get what I am saying because you can relate to all the ideas and ways in which you want to serve the world. It can get overwhelming.

For all of you who are not in business for yourself, it’s like knowing you have $100 to spend on 1 outfit and your favorite store, the one where all the clothes fit you perfectly, is having a HUGE sale and now you can only choose 1 outfit even though you could “justify” buying more because of the sale status.

I am the kid in the candy store with 10 cents and I want it all.

We’ll get back to my dilemma later but I want to ask you if you are confused.  Are you?  Watch this video I made for you and let me know if you can relate.

I am confused.

I think “not knowing” what to do in the gym or with exercise creates shame in people.

I think because there are so many publications that give you the “how to” experience that people become their own personal trainers hoping that what they do will work.

And for some of you – it has!  Congratulations!  You are not the group of people I am speaking to unless you have also incurred an injury during the time you have hired yourself to be your own personal trainer. If that is the case, you may want to keep reading as well.

Now I am the first to tell you that personal trainers only need to go to a weekend course in order to become a personal trainer.  They do not even need to step foot in the gym to do it either!  They can do it all online.

This should scare you.  Just a little bit.

The only, ONLY incentive to a trainer to ever get more education is if it’s required by their employer or they WANT to learn more.

Anyone can hang a shingle on a door, have a good body and personality and call themselves a trainer.  It happens every day.

In fact,  you may have met many trainers who do not seem very smart to you which makes you believe that this exercise thing must not be that hard-not real scientific.

Wrong.

But today is not about me educating you about what most trainers do not know (and I used to teach them so I can tell you first hand), today is about me telling you ITS OKAY IF YOU ARE CONFUSED about anything having to do with exercise or weight loss.

Now I can’t teach you all that I have learned in my 13 years of personal training but I can start you off with a few simple questions that would help you determine what to do next.

1. Have you been doing the same exercise routine for more than 6 months?
2. Would you like more results?
3. What is your #1 goal and are you 100% committed to it?
4. If not, what is the #1 reason that stands in your way?
5. What do you need to overcome this obstacle?

Once you answer those questions honestly, you can choose 1 thing to focus on that will shift your body in a positive direction towards the results you want.

I hope that helps.  Now back to me.

I have a MILLION ideas, I am not kidding, of how I can serve people in feeling gorgeous and confident in a bathing suit without starving or killing themselves in the gym. And it’s my turn to focus.

If you have some inspired ideas or I have touched your life in someway that you feels others would greatly benefit from- I ‘d love to hear it!!

I am not ashamed of asking for help.  I just spent 5 FULL days of being coached and learning about how to shift and grow my business so I can fully live my mission.  It’s scary, I am vulnerable but I need help too.

So I hope that you are also in the place of knowing that asking for help when it comes to weight loss and exercise is a powerful commitment to yourself that you want the best body and health you can have.

You can reach me at 800 571 5722 x 84 or email at info@invisiblefitness.com

We also have a 6 Week Beach Body free call coming up so register at http://www.6weekbeachbody.comI am

Join me for FREE on Saturday November 7^th at 10:15am at The Scottsdale Weight Loss Center where you will find your Easy Exercise Solution!

What you will learn:

What is stopping you from regular exercise

How to create a 15 min exercise routine that works!

Which exercises increase metabolism

Why you don’t need a gym

Why a plateau is a good thing and more!

JJ Flizanes has been a personal trainer since 1996 and has had her own company, Invisible Fitness, since May 2001.  JJ is well known in the media, she has appeared on NBC, KTLA, CBS, and Fox 11 as well as been featured in many local and national magazines.  She was chosen as best personal trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine’s Global Black Book and one of the featured trainers in Shape Magazine in 2003. JJ was chosen as a finalist for IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year 2009.Before starting her own company, she was the Director of Education for New York Sports Club in New York City. She is also the Fitness Expert for the Nourishing Wellness Medical Center’s Anti Aging Program in Redondo Beach and is also the Wellness Expert for FKC International.

Where:  Scottdale Weight Loss Center

9989 N. 95th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
(480) 366-4400

When: Saturday  Nov 7th, 10:15am

Cost: FREE

To Register:  call 800 571 5722

BONUS:  All participants will also get a free gift!

Click here to view the embedded video.