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

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!

Since our 6 Week Beach Body Program uses MIND TOOLS such as EFT, hypnosis and meditation, I wanted to share with you WHY and HOW you can lose weight by changing the way you THINK.

For some of you , the idea of hypnosis is being told to act like a chicken.  Wrong.

This article was written by Susan French, C.Ht.

Hypnosis is a powerful tool but exactly HOW does it work? The real magic is that hypnosis works as both a “magic wand” and as a “snowball gathering snow.”

Let’s take a look at each separately and then how they work together.

The magic-wand effect is when you have a hypnosis session and your issue is solved instantly and without further effort. Magic!

The snowball effect is what you experience with several hypnosis sessions, in which each session reinforces and enhances the relief created by previous sessions.

The reality is that both effects create permanent change. Hypnosis creates the initial change. Reinforcement ensures that the change lasts.

Reinforcement occurs when you regularly use a reinforcement CD made by your hypnotherapist, induce self-hypnosis, or through continued subsequent sessions with your hypnotherapist. Your hypnotherapist guides you in creating the initial change and reinforcing it, thereby accomplishing your goal of permanent, positive change.

Now, let’s look at it a little more closely.

We use hypnosis to change responses and behaviors. All responses and behaviors are learned. All that hypnosis really does is cause very rapid learning (or relearning) to take place so that new responses and behaviors become automatic.

Hypnosis allows this rapid learning to occur by interrupting the conscious, critical factor of the mind/brain. For reasons of survival, the critical factor of the mind/brain slows down the learning process. However, when those initial survival reasons are no longer necessary, it makes sense to interrupt or bypass the critical factor, which is precisely what hypnosis does – painlessly, safely, and effectively.

We know that no learning is INSTANT. You didn’t learn to ride a bike instantly. You didn’t learn to speak instantly. You didn’t learn to read or write instantly. You were taught the initial ideas and methods and those ideas were repeatedly reinforced until they become automatic.

Hypnosis allows that learning or relearning to happen more rapidly. However, as with any learning process, it needs to be reinforced. Thus, hypnosis is both a “magic wand” and a “snowball gathering snow.”

Let’s take a look at Joanna’s experience to get a better idea of exactly how hypnosis DOES work:

Joanna was sitting in the waiting room at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute. She was waiting for her first hypnotherapy appointment. She was desperate to lose weight. She had lost and gained at least three hundred pounds in her thirty-two years. Now, here she was, seventy pounds overweight again. She had tried everything.

She had heard some say that hypnosis could be like a magic wand. She had heard others say it didn’t work at all. Her best friend Martha had just lost fifty-five pounds using hypnosis. She said it was easy and it worked, but that Joanna would have to do her part too. Would it work for her?

If this reminds you of your own questions about weight loss and hypnosis, keep reading.

We can call the habit of overeating a food addiction, compulsive overeating, or a self-destructive habit. Whatever we call it, though, once that kind of behavior takes control, you will need to unlearn old, destructive behaviors and relearn new, constructive ones.

Joanna followed through with her hypnosis for weight loss. She learned the reasons she ate for comfort and she altered those behaviors. She learned that eating good, fueling foods were essential, and she incorporated those ideas into her daily life. She also learned that she needed to move her body more. Exercise became her oasis. It became her “me-time” every day.

Joanna lost her seventy pounds easily and happily and has maintained her new weight because she created a new relationship with food, with her body, and with life itself. That was five years ago.

Hypnosis makes the process of transforming counterproductive behaviors to productive behaviors easy, effective, and empowering. Any behavior that does not serve your goals and dreams can be changed using hypnosis.

Hypnosis accelerates your learning process so that what might have taken you twenty years to “learn” can be restructured in four to six sessions.

Hypnosis is being used in major medical institutions, such as, Harvard Medical School, UCLA, Stanford, Kaiser Permanente, Beth Israel Deaconness Hospital, and many burn centers, to ease pain, fear, and treatment [, and accelerate healing] for their patients.

Hypnosis is approved by, both, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) for Complementary and Alternative Medical Treatment and as an adjunct to traditional treatments.

The moral of this story is this: if you are wondering if hypnosis is a magic wand or a cumulative change response (snowball effect), it is both!

If all else has failed and you are ready and committed to achieving your goals, it is time to try hypnosis. It works!

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And that’s why we use it as the foundation for changing your MIND on the 6 Week Beach Body Program.  We want you to have long lasting change, not temporary results!   http://www.6weekbeachbody.com

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Believe it or not, a lot of my clients both in person and over the phone are people who are already exercising regularly but are NOT seeing results.  One of my favorite clients above, Michael Schapa, was one of those very diligent people who exercised 4-5 times a week consistently.  But he wasn’t seeing any results in terms of muscle building, increasing metabolism or weight loss.

" I have lost 28 pounds so far and muscles galore at age 67!"

Click on the picture above to watch his recent video testimonial and this is also what he had to say a few months back:

“There is no doubt that I could not have achieved the weight loss without J.J’s relentless innovative and ever changing exercise program. J.J.’s routines are highly effective as well as being sensitive not to aggravate old injuries. Consequently I had the gain with no pain. J.J actually listens to my joints for any creeks and squeaks to make sure that no injuries are being developed.

On top of being extremely knowledgeable in the field of physical fitness, she also has a great personality. She knows how to motivate and encourage moving on to ever more advanced routines.  I found her next-day follow ups to be very helpful in judging how effective the workout was. Put all this together, assures me that I am in very good hands indeed. In short, she is a keeper.” Dr. Michael Schapa

I decided to dedicate on section of this newsletter to all of you out there who are already exercising often but not seeing results.  I am going to explain the principle I use and hope you will apply it to your workouts as well.

It’s called the FITT Principle:  Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

Frequency: The number of days or workout sessions- for example I did 2 in one day last week.   In the morning I did legs and some cardio and at night I went dancing.  That counts as 2 sessions towards frequency.

Intensity: The level at which you are working.  We use both RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) and heart rate. Our RPE scale is 1-10, 1 = being on the couch resting and 10= the hardest you could ever work and almost collapse.  You will rate the RPE as well as log the heart rate information.  THRZ (Target Heart Rate Zone) will also be KEY in seeing your fitness level improve and making your exercise time efficient. 

Time: The duration of the exercise.

Type: Walking, running, biking, resistance training, etc…..

You can apply this principle to both resistance and cardio training, but please make separate graphs for each.

Here is an example of an 8 week plan or record.

.

F.                 I.                    T.                T

F.                  I.                  T.                  T

I would like you to create 2 charts and fill in the first lines with what you are doing NOW.  How long have you been doing the same thing?  Is it still working?  If the answers are, “too long” and “ no”, then figure out which of the FITT principles you could adjust.  I would recommend adjusting 1-2, NOT all 4.

Do this for your resistance training as well to see why you might not be experiencing the same results as you may have when you started.

Just because you exercise regularly doesn’t mean you are getting the most out of it- or even doing what is best for you to make the changes you seek!

I’d love to help- so let me know if you could use some tweaking!  http://www.invisiblefitness.com

How 60 seconds a day can change your life

I had a question last night from a participant on the 6 Week Beach Body Program and she started out by saying, “can I ask a stupid question?”

I replied of course with “there are no stupid questions”

She asked “it’s been very hot here so when do I exercise and what do I do?”

She must have been reading my mind!  I was just about the finish this article and considered this exact topic!  I decided to combine it with my original idea for the focus of this quick tip guide because the answers for both questions go hand in hand with each other.

Last week I told you about a book called The Kaizen Way. As I am finishing the book this week, I keep making parallels to how I use this everyday with clients and how the book has given me some new questions to ask and things to suggest- I love it!  I love learning and sharing.  The best teachers are the best students first- in my opinion.

When you want to change a habit or add a new habit, we first have to deal with the resistance to change. Some of us actually love change but we are not the masses.  If you find yourself always putting off trying something new or wanting more out of your life than you currently have, I ask you to consider one of the actions I will describe below for only 60 seconds a day.

60 seconds a day?  Yes.

Psychology research suggests that people who use a journal to chart their emotions receive the same kind of psychological benefit as those who talk to a doctor.  The reason?  Writing in a journal is effective because it is a pretty big deal for most to decide that your emotional life is valuable enough to commit to a book that no one will ever see. Research suggests that clients are supposed to write in the journal for at least 15 minutes a day to receive it’s benefits but the Kaizen Way tested out 60 seconds a day for a month.   One minute after a few weeks became 2 and then 5. At the end of 2 months, the patients had cut down 30-50% of their sabotaging behaviors suggesting that 60 seconds a day was an effective way to start.

So what does this have to do with working out when it’s hot?

When heat, or any weather condition, is a viable excuse to do nothing, start with the 60 second Kaizen method.  This is what I suggested on the call last night. Here is what I said.

1. Workout in the morning before it gets too hot.  If you are already in a routine, do it then or create a 1- 15 minute workout you can do.  I gave the option of an exercise called the Tap Back that I have posted on my You Tube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/jjflizanes)
2. Workout in the evening when it cools off- you don’t have to do a very intense workout- just spend 10-15 minutes with some floor resistance exercises or a brisk walk or stair climbing.
3. Lunch break- find an air conditioned room and do some of the same I have mentioned above. There are many 10-15 minute routines you can make up to target core, legs, upper body or to get your heart rate up.
4. Swimming
5. Ice Skating

Keeping SOMETHING going instead of giving up and getting off track will help you stay consistent, feeling great about the results you will be getting from these activities and eager to do more when the weather cools off and you are able to schedule in a longer or more intense workout.

But also allow yourself time to rest and relax too! The summer is about playing and vacation so do not forget to feed your body and soul some vacation time. There are plenty of water/ ocean activities that are good for your body and will be a lot of fun too!

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

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.

The Ecomony and Corporate costs get hit hard!

The Hard Facts as of May 2008

• There is a $1.3 trillion total impact on the economy from seven chronic disease, pulmonary conditions and mental illness. Of this amount, $1.1 trillion is attributed to lost productivity (DeVol et.al. 2007)

• It is projected that by 2023 there will be a 42% increase in cases of the seven chronic diseases, which will cost $4.2 trillion in treatment and lost economic output (DeVol et. Al. 2007)

• Lowering the rates of obesity could produce productivity gains of $254 billion and avoid $60 billion in treatment expenditures annually(DeVol et. al. 2007)

• In 2004, the US spent 85% of every healthcare dollar on people with chronic conditions (www.silverbook.org/fact/1334)

• In 2002, the US spent more per capita ($5,267) than the next highest country, Switzerland ($3,446) and 140% above the median industrialized country ($2,193) on health care, with comparable outcomes ( Anderson et.al 2005)

• Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 out of 10 deaths in the US (PFCD 2007)

• The economic toll of chronic disease for developing and developed nations around the world is estimated at approximately 3% of gross domestic product, globally (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007)

• The world now has more people who are overweight than people who are hungry (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007)

• According to the World Health Organization, The US is the world’s fattest nation, with over half of adults overweight or obese. But China and India are growing fatter at a faster pace. By 2015, the number of overweight and obese adults in China and India will grow by 66% and 44% respectively (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007)

• More than half of multinational corporations in a 2006 survey expect to introduce or expand corporate wellness program over the next 5 years (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007)

• One third of multinational corporations are rolling out comprehensive wellness programs in multiple countries (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007)

• Presenteeism (days employees are at work but performing at less than full capacity because they are ill due to chronic disease) is increasingly viewed as an important contributor to employee health costs. The January 2008 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine reports that workers with moderate to severe obesity annually cost $1800 (about $500 higher than for other workers) in presenteeism, based on an hourly wage of $21 (Gates et al. 2008)

• More than 60% of American adults don’t get the recommended amounts of physical activity and the majority of the US population has a poor diet (CDC 2002)

• In 2006, the average annual premium costs for insurance-covered workers were $4242 for an individual, including both the worker and the employee contribution, and $11, 480 for a family of four (KFF 2006)

References:

1.    Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 2002.  HHS urges community partnerships to improve physical activity. www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r020501.htm

2.    DeVol, R., et al. 2007 An unhealthy America: The economic burden of chronic disease-charting a new course to save lives and increase productivity and economic growth. Milken Institute. www.milkeninstitute.org

3.    Gates, D.M. et. al  2008: Obesity and presenteeism: The impact of body mass index on workplace productivity. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 50 (1) 39-45

4.    Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). 2006.  Data spotlight. www.kff.org/charts/012907.htm

5.    PricewaterhouseCoopers. 2007. CEO’s take on wellness as corporate strategy; rising costs of chronic diseases hurting corporate profits and productivity. www.pwc.com

We offer comprehensive corporate fitness and wellness programs that are customized per client. We cover food, exercise, mental and emotional components, habits, lifestyle, accountability and tracking for all of our clients.

http://www.invisiblefitness.com   800 571 5722

What if I am just NOT motivated?

I have gone through some major life changes in the last few months and I myself have been extremely exhausted–sleeping 10-11 hours every night and still having no energy!  I was so UN motivated and tired to the point of wondering if it was mild depression!  I want to share my story with you for two reasons.

First, I am human too and feel ALL the same things you go through to the extent of my experience.  It’s always amazing to me to hear what clients think I am “like”. I am not super human. Secondly, through my pain and suffering, I hope to provide some hope, insight and maybe a new perspective on your own journey. I also want you to know that I truly understand.

As some if not most of you know, I got married in early August.  In the few months prior to the wedding, I was on “super overdrive” trying to get all details taken care of and successfully fund our event. I had a wedding planner (who was great) and that did help but the stress of this undertaking especially when we did it as a destination wedding was HUGE- more than I thought.  Well, more than I was aware at the time.

The wedding was fabulous and the wedding day was stress free thanks to all this planning! On our honeymoon, we got a call from Jeanne Peters who shared with us a “healer” named Ken that creates and works with flower essences.  Jeanne had encouraged us to have a session with him if we could before we left the island.  And we did.

To keep it short and simple, my reading was one of the deepest and intense readings he had ever done.  He said it 4 times in the 45 minutes we spent focused on me. I think he was relieved when my reading was over because he wasn’t used to delivering such powerful news.  Most flower essence readings are “kinda nice” as he described it.

The gist of my reading had to do with very early patterns growing up that I developed to compensate for something I didn’t want to feel.  There has been a feeling for 30+ years that I have NOT allowed myself to feel!  The flower essences were suppose to bring those up in order to balance them and dissolve them.

Let’s just say that for the past few weeks, since returning from the wedding, I have been not motivated, exhausted, depressed, and physically weak.   This phase went on for 3-4 weeks!!  ( I feel better now)  If I didn’t have to leave the house, I wouldn’t.  I even cancelled all my appointment one day because I was immobile and my body felt heavy and weak.  Even going for a walk would get me in my target heart rate zone!  Just WALKING!  I saw physical effects of my emotions.  I had plenty of rest, I ate fairly well (I am still gluten free) so the only thing it could be was emotional.

Wow.  What do you do when you feel this way?  I had no idea.  Normally, I just talk myself out of it! And choosing your thoughts is how to gain control of your life but I was doing it to AVOID feeling what I felt.  And so the feelings would get “Swept under the rug” so to speak and have built up over my life time.

So what if you are not motivated?  I wasn’t.  But what I was- was curious as to WHY.  Of course I have the desire to be as healthy and as fit as I can.  I didn’t like that I wasn’t working out.  I didn’t like feeling exhausted.  But just like a detox, I came to understand what was going on with me to except this “phase”.

Had Ken NOT explained that the emotions would be triggered, I may have not taken the whole prescribed bottle.  But I knew to expect a detox of sorts.  I also while really IN this, made peace with myself, forgave myself and tried to be as loving as I could.  And then it passed.  I didn’t fight it.

For some people, feeling unmotivated is the excuse to stay in that stage longer than you need to.  It could be fear.  Fear of failure.  Fear of success. Fear of lack of support or fear of the unknown.

What is the underlying reason of your lack of motivation?  I believe, once you can pinpoint that, it dissolves.

For all the ladies who have made it to the end of this story, Jeanne Peters Rd and I are hosting a women’s only workshop called LOVE YOUR BODY.  If you would like to get to the bottom of your lack of motivation or any other feeling that is stopping you from attaining the health and body YOU deserve, call or email to sign up.  We’d love to help you transform your relationship with YOUR body.

Written by JJ Flizanes, Director of Invisible Fitness

800 571 5722

http://www.invisiblefitness.com

Watch this first: http://twitpwr.com/Oprah/

1. Oprah’s exercise form is AWFUL.  She is probably doing a few different exercises for the camera but she has not control, she is swinging her arms and she isn’t doing enough weight or reps to get real benefit.  Whether this was staged for camera or not, it’s bad.

2. She isn’t wearing a Heart Rate Monitor.  HOW CAN SHE NOT KNOW about a HR Monitor?  Bob isn’t that good…. This is inefficient use of her time.  The talk test is not very accurate in telling you when it’s time to change your cardio to get the most bang for your buck in time.

3. She is working out 6 days a week?  No wonder she can’t stick to a program…..it’s all or nothing.  There is a happy medium….

4. I am sure she knows nothing about Gluten.  And I would bet money she (since we all are) is gluten sensitive.  The only thing I could see in her diet that’s gluten is probably the salad dressing…

5. Mental/ emotional- she didn’t touch on that one… but it’s the foundation.

6. Hormones- Oprah DID NOT test the right things- very incomplete.  She only did TSH. There are 3 Thyroid hormones: TSH, T3 and T4.  Dr Oz is BEHIND the times…..

7. I heard nothing of Cortisol.  That’s an adrenal hormone that I am SURE was elevated because of her imbalance of stress and schedule.  She probably had adrenal fatigue but would need to test DHEA to know for sure.  DHEA helps to make your Thyroid hormones so this would be WHY her medication didn’t work.

What IS good about this video

1.      She is scheduling herself in it for balance- good!

2.      Her food is charted out ( seems a bit boring of a menu to me hence why someone would fall off b/c it’s not very fun and it’s too repetitive)

3.      She gets her exercise in

When wanting to follow or create a program – please get some personal help with it!!!  That way you don’t waste time, deal with your real issues and have success from the start!  No one likes to waste time..

We offer a free program to help you get started!  Our 30 Day JUMP Start at http://www.invisiblefitness.com 800 571 5722