Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Brazil Butt Lift

Here is a solution for everyone out there unhappy with their backside. This product is not just for the ladies out there.

Brazil Butt Lift uses cardio, dance, and a unique training method to work your rear end from every angle. You'll reduce your hips, slim your thighs, and lift your butt, shaping your "bum bum" (pronounced "boom boom" ) into the best booty of your life.

This program was developed by Leandro Carvalho using his signature training techniques to help sculpt some of the world's most beautiful bodies. Top supermodels count on him to get their "bum bum" in shape for a lingerie photo shoot or a revealing runway show.

Check it out for yourself. You won't be sorry but your "bum bum" might be a bit sore.

Tony Horton Kiss 108

Tony Horton was live on December 21st with Matty in the Morning on Kiss 108 here in Boston. Check out what he had to say about working out and P90X.

Click here to listen:

Tony Horton on Matty in the Morning

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

WIN $1000 JUST FOR WORKING OUT!!!

YES, you read that correctly. You can win $1,000 just for working out. Or other great prizes like an i-Pod Touch, Camera or $300.00. It is true they really give out prizes for working out. Pat has actually won $300. I'm still waiting for my day.

Every day that you log in to WOWY SuperGym™ and enter your workout you will be automatically entered in the Daily Sweepstakes. You could win a $300 cash prize or an electronic item such as an iPod, digital camera, or portable DVD player. And one day a week—the Mystery Day—someone will win $1,000.

See it's simple to win. If you don't have a free account all you have to do is go to my page and join for FREE:

www.beachbodycoach.com/vosullivan

The Daily Sweepstakes gives you 365 reasons to keep Pushing Play. Winning cash and prizes just for working out—now, that's motivation!

Beachbody is coming out with some new and exciting contested for 2010. Stay turned for new and fun ways to win!!

Hearty and Healthy Dips

It is the holiday season, which mean a time for cocktail parties and too many high calorie appetizers and snacks. So before you head out to one of those parties check out this article and bring a delicious dip so that you can have something healthy to snack on.

When aren't we going on and on about how you need to eat more vegetables? They're full of fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and low in calories and fat. And one of the best ways to eat them? Raw. So you're trying to be a good camper, with your bowl of broccoli and cauliflower florets, baby carrots, and celery sticks, crunching your way to a leaner (and probably gassier) you. You know what would really make these veggies sing? Some dip! French onion dip. . . or guacamole . . . or hummus . . . or nacho cheese. Ha! Guess again! Nothing can make your healthy vegetable snack descend the rungs of Michi's Ladder faster than a few dunks in a bowl of fatty, salty, delicious dip. But we're not completely heartless. Here are some variations on some old favorites that are actually pretty good for you!

Hummus. It's a perfect dip. Made primarily of creamed chickpeas, it's like dipping your vegetable in another vegetable! But not all hummuses (or is it hummi?) are created equal. Many are loaded up with tahini (the sesame paste that gives hummus it's nutty flavor) and olive oil, which are almost pure fat. Granted, they're both healthy fats, so a little is OK, but too much will pack on the pounds. Try making your own from scratch. Just puree a can of chickpeas in a food processor or blender with lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne pepper to taste. You can add as much tahini or olive oil as you think your diet can handle, or none at all. If the hummus is too thick, you could thin it with a little vegetable broth or water instead of oil. Another delious option to add to the hummus is a sweet potato. Steam one sweet potato first until tender and add to food processor to make a new and tasty twist to the classic dip.

Guacamole. Avocados? They're in the Pious Tier of Michi's Ladder. And guacamole is just mashed avocados, right? Right, but as with olive oil and tahini, avocados are full of calories. One avocado has 227 calories, and 21 grams of fat. Instead, how about an easy-to-make avocado dip? In a food processor, combine one avocado, one cup of nonfat yogurt, and one cup of nonfat cottage cheese (all top-tier ingredients from Michi's Ladder). Blend until creamy and no lumps from the cottage cheese remain. Add cayenne pepper and ground cumin to taste. For extra flavor and texture, mix in some chopped fresh cilantro and onion before serving.

French onion dip. OK, nothing made of instant soup (essentially flavored salt) and full-fat sour cream is going to pass Michi muster. But onions are in the top tier, so that's a start. Instead of sour cream, how about tofu? It's not just that white brick that sits in the back of your fridge after a well-intentioned impulse buy. Puree 2 cups of extra-soft tofu in a food processor with a couple of tablespoons of white wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, and garlic cloves to taste. Meanwhile sauté some chopped onions in a little bit of olive oil until caramelized. Mix the onions into the tofu mixture and deglaze the pan with a little white wine and add that to the dip as well.

Spinach dip. Nothing's a bigger hit at a party than that hollowed-out sourdough boule full of mayonnaise-y goodness. Instead of mayo though, try pureeing some nonfat yogurt and cottage cheese. Thaw out some frozen chopped spinach and mix that in and add some chopped water chestnuts and scallions for crunch and flavor. For extra zip and color, try mixing in some curry powder. With all that going on, you'll forget the mayo's gone! And don't forget to use whole grain bread.

Article written by Joe Wilkes for Beachbody.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Cheer Gut

Here is a little something to get you in the Holiday spirit. Pay attention at about 1:30. Tony Horton would be proud.

December Fit Club

We hold a monthly Fit Club for people in the Southern New Hamsphire area. The fit club is FREE for all that want to attend.

Fit Club



We hold the Fit Club the second Saturday of the month.
Here is the information for the next one:
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2009
Time: 9:00am - 10:30pm
Location: Girls Inc, Manchester, NH
Street: 340 Varney St
City/Town: Manchester, NH


We are also holding Business Opportunity Briefings for those of you that maybe interested after the workout. We also hold a small workout and activites for the kids five and older, so please feel free to bring them. An RSVP is requested, but not required to attend.


If you have any questions or to RSVP please contact us at info@teamgranitefit.com. Just need a mat/towel and be ready to Bring It!!!


We hope to see you there. Pat & Vicky

Strenuous exercise may help slow aging process, study says

Here is a great article written By John Fauber of the Journal Sentinel .



What better motivation to workout than to live longer. Should make you want to pull out that P90X workout and Bring It!


For years, a mantra of medicine has been that you can't do much about your genetic makeup.
A new study has found, however, that strenuous, long-term exercise may have anti-aging properties by virtue of its effect on chromosomes.

"People automatically assume there's not anything you can do about your genetics," said Patrick McBride, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. "We can exercise our chromosomes."

McBride, who was not a part of the study, said the new research helps explain on a cellular level many of the known benefits of exercise.
"Regular exercise is an anti-aging activity," he said.

While the study did not show that exercise can change genes, it suggests that exercise may have beneficial properties at a chromosomal level, specifically on telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that are believed to have an impact on aging.

"I think this is a blockbuster study," said Barry Franklin, a physiologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.

Telomeres are like the biological clocks of cells, said Franklin, who was not a part of the study.
He said the study may help explain why exercise reduces the risk of so many diseases.
In recent years, telomeres, the DNA structures found on the ends of chromosomes, have been the source of an increasing number of studies. The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine was awarded to scientists who discovered how telomeres protect chromosomes.
Telomeres have been compared with caps on the ends of shoelaces, protecting against genetic unraveling, which, in turn, can lead to diseases.

When telomeres become too short after repeated cell divisions, cells die.

As people get older, telomeres get shorter, and some research has linked shortened telomeres to higher rates of death from heart disease and infections. Shortened telomeres also have been associated with cognitive problems and certain cancers, although the relationship with cancer is not fully understood.

The new study, which was published online Monday in the journal Circulation, looks at circulating white blood cells in middle-age lifelong runners, healthy middle-age people who did not exercise and younger distance runners.

The study, which involved about 100 people, is one of the first to show a correlation between vigorous, lifelong exercise and the length of telomeres.

Ulrich Laufs, the study's co-author, who is a researcher at Saarland University in Germany, said one of the key findings was that lifelong exercise was associated with a significant prevention of telomere shortening.

Laufs said the study was not designed to answer the question of how much a person needs to run or exercise to live longer.

But exercise does appear to be a powerful intervention that can help regulate substances that stabilize telomeres.

The people in the study got a lot of exercise. The middle-age subjects, whose average age was 51, had a history of running since they were young, averaging about 50 miles a week.
They were compared with a group of healthy, non-exercisers of about the same age.
The middle-age athletes had less loss of telomere length than the non-exercisers. They also had substantially higher amounts of proteins that help preserve telomeres.
The study follows research from last year that also suggested a benefit from exercise on telomeres.

That study involved 2,401 volunteers who were twins. It found an association between telomere length and leisure time exercise. It concluded that a sedentary lifestyle may accelerate the aging process as the result of telomere shortening.

The most active individuals in twin pairs had longer telomeres.

Other research has shown an association between smoking and obesity and shorter telomeres.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Holiday Shakeology Recipes

Here are some new and fun Shakeology Recipes.


Thin Mint Treat

1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 1/2 cups cold water
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 cup ice (or to taste)

Blend till frothy and enjoy!

Nutrition Info:
Calories :152
Protein: 17 g
Carbs: 17.5 g
Fiber: 3 g
Fat: 1 g

Fall Egg Nog

1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 cup low-fat eggnog
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
1 cup ice (or to taste)
optional: 1/2 tsp fresh whipped cream (if you're really festive!)

Blend till frothy and enjoy!

Nutrition Info: Without whipped cream
Calories: 321
Protein: 23 g
Carbs: 47 g
Fiber: 3 g
Fat: 5 g

Pumpkin Pie

1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 cup rice, soy, almond, or low-fat milk (plain or vanilla)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin unsweetened
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Ice (optional)

You can substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon and nutmeg or add more pumpkin for a thicker shake.

Nutritional Information (with low-fat milk):
Calories: 284
Protein: 27 g
Fiber: 7 g
Carbs: 40 g
Fat Total: 3.5 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g

Friday, November 6, 2009

Manchester City Half Marathon

I ran my second half marathon on November 1st at the Manchester City Marathon. The course went through Manchester, NH where I grew up and is considered to be one of the more challenging half marathon courses in the area.

Even with the tough course I was able to run a personal best of 1:49.48. I know that I wouldn’t have been able to with stand the beating your body takes without the extra training I did with P90X and Insanity. I know yoga with Tony Horton has helped to get all those sore muscles and legs stretched out. I meet some amazing people thru my training an along the course. I’m looking forward to my next half marathon in February in Hampton, NH along the ocean and hope to complete my first full marathon next May in Vermont.

I would like to thank Runner's Alley of Manchester, NH and everyone involved in the training group there. They made this half marathon training and event much more fun than my first.

You can check out some of my pictures of the half at the following site.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

October 09 Team Newsletter

Pat and I have started a month newsletter to send out to everyone on the the team. Here is a link to our October newsletter.

October Newsletter

We would love to share your succes stories with the team so please send them into us. We would also like to address in the Newsletter and topics that you would like to see. So please drop us a note and let us know.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Health & Fitness Expo - Manchester Marathon


Please come down and see us at the Manchester City Marathon Health and Fitness Expo this coming weekend. We will have a table with Beachbody Fitness and Supplement products and information. We will also have information on the exciting Independent Beachbody Coaching opportunity.

The event will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH.

Friday (October 30th) from 2:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Saturday (October 31st) from 10 to 6:30PM

Join us for a Independent Beachbody Coaching Business Opportunity Meeting at 11:00 AM on Saturday October 31st.

Here is a link to the Manchester Marathon webpage:

Manchester City Marathon


Not only do we have a booth at the Expo, I am also running the half marathon on Sunday. We hope to see you there.

Vicky

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Carl Daikeler's Amazing Invitation

I know that there are many of you that are Beachbody customers and may or may not have thought about taking the jump to become a Beachbody coach. It is an amazing opportunity and experience to work with a company like Beachbody and a CEO like Carl.


If you are interested in hearing more about this amazing company please contact Pat or I and we would be glad to get you some more information.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Tony Horton's Philly Fit Camp

We have used Tony Horton’s workouts for over 2 ½ year and last weekend we finally meet the man in person. It was an amazing whirl wind weekend of fitness, health and friendship. It is so amazing to be surrounded by people that understand the love of health and fitness.

The weekend started with a seminar on Friday night w/ Tony. Saturday we completed a UCML workout in the morning and Yoga in the afternoon as well as a few more seminars. Then we finished off the night with fitness challenges. I saw some amazing feats of strength and determination. Susan a mother of 3 held the plank position for over 12 minutes. Just shows you what your body can do if you don’t listen to the voice that says “I can’t”.

We finished off Sunday with a morning workout with 3 new 10 Minute Trainer workouts then Tony’s new One-on-One workout Iso-Abs. The weekend went by to fast even with all the painful workouts and we are looking forward to getting to see all of our Beachbody friends again in the near future.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

WE GET TO MEET TONY!!!!

Pat and I have been working out almost daily with Tony in our basement for over two years now. We talk to him daily, well we talk at the television and finally we get the chance to meet the man himself.

Tomorrow morning Pat and I are off for a weekend trip to Philly for a Tony Horton Fitness camp. Most people think we are crazy for wanting to pay to spend a weekend away to workout. Well maybe we are a little crazy but Tony and the other Beachbody products have gotten us into such great shape and so excited about fitness.

Even our 8yr old son things that Tony is a celebrity. He as requested that we get Tony's autograph from him while we are there.

We are looking forward to the knowledge that we are going to get out of this weekend. We'll be back Sunday to share the pictures and the things we learned.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Workout Motivation

I know we all have different things that help motivate us and help get us through those tough workouts. We all know that P90X, Insanity and Chalean are all HARD workouts. We all start the workouts to get the amazing results, but what helps get you to the end of those hard workouts? What helps you push past the pain? For me it is Tony, Chalene, Shaun T, etc. The personality and enthusiasm they bring to the workouts makes me push harder. Without these videos there is no one there to crack a joke or encourage you to push harder. A lot of people ask me why I would rather do a video workout at home than go to the gym. Check out the latest promo video for Tony Horton's One-on-One and you will understand why I love to workout at home.



How can you not laugh and enjoy your workouts when you have a personal trainer like this. Get the FREE jump rope with Tony's new One-on-One workout 10-Minute Crusher Pack.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Shakeology Convenience Pack

Have you not ordered Shakeology yet because you don't know if you'll like Greenberry or Chocolate. Or maybe you haven't ordered it yet becuase you don't think it is convent and easy to eat on the go.

Beachbody has solved those issues with their lastest release. They now have Shakeology in individual serving packages. You have the option of Greenberry, Chocolate or half and half. Plus if you order it on home direct they will send the Shakeology workouts for FREE, a FREE Shakeology shaker cup so you can take it with you anywhere, plus you will never have to pay shipping on your home direct order for the life of the order.



So there is nothing stopping you form ordering. Contact your Beachbody Coach to order. If you don't have a coach contact Pat and I or one of the wonderful coaches on our team. Once you see and feel the benefits of Shakeology you will never want to go a day without it.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Reach the Beach - Post Race Report

Who would think that cramming 12 people into two vans and then running thru the night to travel the 207 miles from Cannon Mt to Hampton Beach would be so much fun. I'm sure that you think I'm crazy for doing it but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe it was the excitement of everything or the fact that I hadn't sleep and my brain wasn't functioning fully but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Here is a picture from the start of the race at Cannon Mt in Franconia Notch, NH.

I was part of an amazing team of 12 people. Five of us have never run Reach the Beach before and a few of us didn't sign on until last week. The weather wasn't the best at the start of the race, but the weather in Fanconia Notch never seems to be very nice. As our second runner started his leg of the race the sun started to come out and the rain stopped.

I was in the second van so we didn't start our first portion of the race around 6pm. So my first 7.5 mile leg was at 9 PM. This was the first time that I had ever run so late and at and you really are pretty much running by yourself because there are only about 400 teams and they stagger the start so I only saw on average 6 to 10 runners on each of my legs. My first leg was the toughest of the three. It was 7.5 miles will mile 2 being a 300ft climb. I was able to finish the leg in 1hr and 46 second at 8:02 miles. Here are some of the crazy pictures of the gear we at to wear at night.
Our van finished our first section of the race at 10:30. We traveled to our next transition point to rest for a while. It wasn't the warmest night but I got to camp out under the stars. Not that I really sleep with all the active and bright lights, but we tried. My next section of the race was 6.5 miles down Rt 28 thru Epsom, NH and I covered it in 51 1/2 minutes. At least at this point of the event the sun was up and I was just running to finish and get my Dunkin Donuts coffee and some breakfast. It was really hard to have any sort of normal diet in that van. I lived on protein bars and P90X recover drink after my runs.

The final legs of the race went thru Exeter and down into Hampton Beach. I had the second to last leg of the race. It was a total of 3.4 mile down to Winnacunit High School. My legs were a bit sluggish and I had gotten a bad blister on my toe during the last leg. I think the only thing that carried me thru was the adrenaline almost being done. I covered that last leg at my fastest pace of the race in 7:55 miles. I don't know where the energy came from but it felt amazing. The most welcome sign of the weekend was the entrance to state park at Hampton Beach.

Our team Van Heelin' finished the race in 28hrs and 8 minutes at a pace of 8:08 miles and finished 154 out of 400.


I was an amazing 28 hrs. It only goes to show what you can accomplish with a little training and determination. That and the support of 11 amazing teamates.

Vicky



Friday, September 18, 2009

Reach the Beach - Pre Race

I got a facebook message yesterday morning from Pat's cousin Corey. The two of use have done a few road races together this summer. She had a team she was on that is running the Reach the Beach Relay and they had a team member cancel two days before the race. So as of yesterday I'm running the Reach the Beach Relay, which just happens to start today. Am I crazy? Probably a little but this is something I've always wanted to do. Right now I'm in the middle of training for a half marathon at the end of October. So I believe that between that and the Insanity and P90X Beachbody workouts I should be able to concur anything!!!!!

The race is a total of 200 miles over 36 legs. I will be running 3 of the legs and still only hours before the start I don't know which of the legs I am running or exactly how many miles I'll be running. Okay this really is starting to sound a little crazy, but it also sounds like a ton of fun. I'll be posting the results as soon as I get some rest on Sunday.

For most of you that probably haven't hear what the Reach the Beach Relay is here is a description of the course from their website (http://www.rtbrelay.com/):

"The Reach The Beach (RTB) Relay is the longest distance running relay race in the United States. The RTB Relay will take place in picturesque New Hampshire during the start of the New England foliage season. The event will start at the Cannon Mountain in Franconia, NH.

Cannon is located in beautiful Franconia Notch State Park and is right off of I-93; an easy two and a half hour drive from downtown Boston, MA. From there, the course will take the teams through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, past fields, lakes, mountain top vistas, and the occasional covered bridge; ultimately finishing along the Atlantic coastline at Hampton Beach State Park NH.


Hampton Beach is located 1 hour from downtown Boston off of I-95 and is just 10 miles south of Portsmouth, NH. Its beautiful beaches and many state parks make it a major three-season tourist destination. The finish area at Hampton Beach State Park will host a post race party for all competitors, sponsors, volunteers, family and friends. There will also be provisions made for massage, music, food and fun."

Well I better finish packing so I can head up north. I'll be back with pictures and video Sunday.

Vicky

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Patience Hummingbird

One of my favorite workouts from Tony's first One-on-One series is Fountain of Youth yoga. It is a great 48 minute yoga workout that has you feeling better when you finish than when you started. Yoga is one of my favorite workouts and Pat and I have been patiently waiting for our copy of Patience Hummingbird. We just got it in the mail the other day and it is on the books for this week. We are going to try to get some video for the review but for those of you that are wondering what Patience Hummingbird is please check out the video below.



We'll be back in a few days with a full review, that is after we recover.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

September Fit Club

We had a great turnout for out September Fit Club. We did a Kenpo X from P90X. It is always fun to introduce people to a fun and different workout. The kids spent some time making some crafts while the parents worked out. After the workout we had a sampling of Shakeology and Recovery Drink for all that attended.



We had a great time and the Shakeology was enjoyed by all. Our next Fit Club will be on October 10th at 9am at the Girls Inc in Manchester, NH. We hope that more of you come out to join us. We can help you get on the right track with a fitness routine before the holiday season. Why wait until the 1st of the year when you can start now.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Lamb Chops

Pat and I are always looking for something other than beef to grill. I love lamb but Pat has always been a little sceptical to training. Last week I went grocery shopping the the lamb chops where on sale. I figured if he didn't like them then I would have a few good lunches. Boy was I wrong!!!! We have made this twice in the past two weeks. They are delicous and my leftovers always seem to disappear.


1 lb Lamb Chops
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 - 2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste



Combine the all the ingredients and marinate the chops for a least an hour. We found it is best to marinate them overnight. Remove chops and discard marinade. Grill chops until they reach about 160 degrees. (about 10 minutes). Serve with a salad and veggie and you have a meal to impress.

This has become a fast favorite in our house. The leftovers are wonderful even cold. Hope you enjoy.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Our Promise to Nicholas Event

We held a our first fundraising event back on August 1st with the help of some of the wonderful coaches on our team, Jacki McQuillen and Missy Connolly. The event would not have been as successful as it was if it wasn't for the master planning of Chrisann Dalton. We want to thank everyone that attended the event and share a little bit with the rest of you about Nicholas and why we held this event for him.

Nicholas is a six year old little boy that was diagnosed with Batten disease also called Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL). Children diagnosed with this disease usually only live to the ages of 8 to 12. The families hope is to raise enough money to do more studies in the hopes to find a cure or a way to slow the disease.

Here a few pictures of the event. Even Nicholas came out with his mother.

The kids had a great time with a Shaun Ts Fit Kids workout (so did our coaches).


We all had a wonderful time at the event and are glad we could share our love of health and fitness to help a wonderful boy like Nicholas. We were able to raise $350 for the Our Promise to Nicholas Foundation as this event. It is a small amount and we wished we could have done more but every little bit helps.

For more information on how you can help Nicholas and his family as well as other children with Batten's Disease please visit http://www.ourpromisetonicholas.com/.







Friday, August 21, 2009

Our Monthly Fit Club

We hold a monthly Fit Club for people in the Southern New Hamsphire area. The fit club is FREE for all that want to attend.

Fit Club

We hold the Fit Club the second Saturday of the month. Here is the information for the next one:

Date: Saturday, September 12, 2009
Time: 9:00am - 10:30pm
Location: Girls Inc, Manchester, NH
Street: 340 Varney St
City/Town: Manchester, NH

We are also holding Business Opporunity Briefings for those of you that maybe interested after the workout.

We also hold a small workout and activites for the kids five and old so please feel free to bring them. An RSVP is requested but not required to attend. If you have any questions or to RSVP please contact us at info@teamgranitefit.com.

Just need a mat/towel and be ready to Bring It!!!

We hope to see you there.

Pat & Vicky

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

RevAbs -- Coming Soon

Ready for the next great workout from Beachbody! They keep things moving forward in the home fitness realm. RevAbs looks to add to that momentum:



RevAbs is a 90-day program with trainer Brett Hoebel that incorporates cardio and strength training with unique ab/core work to burn the fat off your midsection and your body while you work your abs, revealing lean, defined abs and a tight, toned body. It's the ONLY ab-training system designed to burn off the fat and give you a six-pack in just 90 days.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

INSANITY

Insanity with Shaun T has now been released. You have read our review of the Plyometric Cardio Circuit and it was Insanely hard. Now we are patiently waiting our delivery of the Insanity program.




The results people have seen with this program are amazing and the reviews I've been hearing are telling me this workout lives up to its name. Contact us at info@teamgranitefit.com to get your copy today.

FREE Shipping on Shakeology for Life

Yes you read that right. FREE shipping for life on all Shakeology homedirect orders. For those of you out there that are not familar with Shakeology and all of the wonderful benefits please watch the video below.




I have seen so many wonderful benefits with Shakeology and I plan to drink it for the rest of my life. I look forward to my glass everyday. You'll be surprised at how delicious it tastes when it is so good for you.

My mother has her daily glass and for as long as I can remember she has had trouble sleeping. Now she is sleeping through the night and waking up rested in the morning and her daily energy has been through the roof.

Not only do you get FREE shipping for life on your Shakeology homedirect orders you also get the newly released 30 minute and 50 minute Shakeology workouts. Here is a behinds the scenes look at the new Shakeology workout videos.


Contact us at info@teamgranitefit.com if you have any questions regarding Shakeology or to order.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

August 1st Fit Club

Pat and I hold a monthly Fit Club workout with the local New Hampshire Beachbody Coaches. Typically it is on the second Saturday of the month. Because of other events we have planned in August our next Fit Club is this Saturday. Here is the information if you are interested.

Team Granite Fit Club
Time: August 1st 9am to 10:30 am
Workout: Cardio X
Location: Girls Inc.
340 Varney Street
Manchester, NH

We also hold a small workout and activites for the kids five and old so please feel free to bring them. An RSVP is requested but not required to attend. If you have any questions or to RSVP please contact us at info@teamgranitefit.com.

We hope to see you there. We always have a great time.

Fit Club

Monday, July 27, 2009

Bodybugg

My 32nd birthday was back on the 13th of this month and Pat got me a Bodybugg as a gift. Being an engineer I love numbers and I love tracking the calories I eat and the calories I burn daily. I have always tracked my calories burned during a workout with a Polar heart rate monitor. I'm sure if any of you have watched The Biggest Loser on TV you have seen a Bodybugg, its the black band all the contestants are wearing around their left arm. You just wear it on your arm daily and it uses the following five sensors to calculate your daily caloric burn(within 90% accuracy) : motion, steps, skin response (sweat), skin temperature, and heat flux from you muscles. Not only does the Bodybugg measure you caloric burn it also calculates you daily steps.

Well sounds pretty amazing but how does it really work and what do I think of it. I've only been using it for one week now and so far I'm really enjoying it. I was very surprised that once I put in all of my information it calculated that I probably burn about 2600 calories a day. I honestly thought that was way high until I started wearing it. I have averaged over the past week right around 2600 calories. Here is the graph from the calories I burned on Sunday July 26th.

Can you tell when I worked out yesterday? I guess if you can't I didn't workout hard enough. I was also surprise to find out just how many calories I burn while out shopping. I was out for a few hours yesterday afternoon doing some shopping for the house and groceries and I was burning about 5 calories a minute. Ladies just another reason to go out and shop. Here is the graph of the steps I took on Sunday.
So far I'm having a lot of fun with the Bodybugg. I can't truly give an honest opinion yet of whether it has helped me lose the last few pounds I'm looking to drop. What I have learned: I actually burn 2600 calories a day, 10,000 steps is a really hard goal to make if I don't workout during the day, I actually burn about 70 calories an hour while I sleep, and it is 12 steps from my bed to my bathroom (I can tell when I get up at night). I plan to post a full review with my results in 30 days to see if this nifty tool can help me lose those last few pounds.

Monday, July 20, 2009

What you eat...

Another great post from Mark Sisson. I would highly recommend reading this one of food labels and nutrition....food for thought as they say!

Link

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Epigenetics...say what?



Epigenetics are the "controllers" of our genes and gene expression, so what does this have to do with health and fitness? The simple answer is everything!

These epigenomes control your gene expression (def: Gene expression is the entire process that takes the information contained in genes on DNA and turns that information into proteins. Proteins are the building blocks of your body).

Science has really found that although we can't control our genes, our lifestyle, what we eat, how we live our lives has a direct impact on epigenomes and in turn on gene expression. Your body is not some machine just running on a pre-programmed course, but is dynamic and can be changed through healthy lifestyle and good nutrition.

A good book is called The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton.

Here is a great clip (it's about 15 mins, but worth watching) from PBS NOVA ScienceNOW that gives a great explanation of what is going on inside our cells
Clip

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Yuck!


This Nation is faced with an obesity epidemic with no end in sight. Yet people still wonder why...it's pretty simple in my book!

check this out

Ask yourself one question (thanks Mark Sisson for this one)....Do you live to eat or eat to live?

Think about it!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

BBQ Survival Tips


With the 4th of July right around the corner I thought that it would be helpful to post some tips on how to survive that summer BBQ. I'm sure we all have plenty of them coming up and they are a temptation for everyone. So here are a few ideas that have helped me through the weekend BBQ feast.


  • If you know there are going to be NO healthy options eat before going.

  • Bring something with you that you know will be healthy ie, salad, veggie tray, fruit tray. Anything that you can munch on will be a big help for you.

  • A great option if the host does not have chicken is to have a burger without the bun. Try topping it with salsa, a staple at almost any BBQ, it will give it a little zip and is much healthier than the ketchup with high fructose corn syrup. Pat and I love to top ours with Peach and Mango salsa it is a staple in our house during the summer BBQ months.

  • Stay AWAY from the food & snack table. The closer you are the more tempted you will be to mindlessly eat.

  • Be active! If there is a pool jump in and have a swim, play with the kids (they'll have a great time and you'll get a little extra exercise), join the volleyball or bad mitten game. Plus the extra activity will keep you away from that food table.

  • Avoid the alcohol. You will consume the extra calories of the drink plus you will be more tempted to snack. If you are going to have a drink make a commitment to yourself to have just one and stick to it.

  • Dessert!!!! Try to stay away or bring a healthier option such as fresh fruit or a homemade strawberry shortcake. If you make it you can control the amount and type of sweetener plus you can add other fruit such as blackberries and raspberries. Try a greek yogurt to top it with rather than the whip cream.

  • Tell the host that you are trying to make healthier food choices for yourself so they understand and are not insulted by you not eating some of everything or a big piece of desert.

You will be surprised by the number of people that will appreciate you bringing a healthier option to the BBQ. Remember if you do slip it is just one meal/one slip and get back to healthy eating ASAP and you will be fine. Hope everyone enjoys their 4th of July holiday with family and friends.

Monday, June 29, 2009

JULY 2009 CHALLENGE

Pat and I decided to start a challenge July 1 to help keep us motivated and to help everyone on our team to focus on their goals.

The prize will be a Beachbody workout that is apporpiate for the winner PLUS a bonus mystery prize.

Rules:
• You must take your before measurements and pictures. These are for you own benfit but we welcome you to post them if you feel comfortable.
• Make your workout schedule for the month of July and enter it in the WOWY workout scheduler.
• You will earn one point for everyday that you stick to your workout plan and log it in WOWY.
• You will earn one point for everyday that you eat clean and stick to your eating plan.
• You will earn one point for every day you check in and post your status on our thread on the Beachbody message boards at Team Granite Fit.
• In the case of a tie the winner will be drawn out of a hat.


GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE. We are looking forward to the amazing results.

Vicky & Pat

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Just Play!

Okay I must admit, I've forgotten how to really do this! I was just saying to Vicky, our son could show us a thing or two about how to play. There are so many benefits from it that they are hard to list. It is a great way to reduce our stress, get some fresh air, all important Vitamin D, and get some exercise too in a fun way...

There is no right way or wrong way to play, just find something you enjoy and cut loose...if you have kids get outside with them.


Don't wait to do it! Play needs to become a part of all of our lives. So turnoff the TV, put on your sneakers and shorts and get outside. What the weather isn't great? When was the last time you went out and played in the rain? I don't know about you, but I used to love running around and splashing in the puddles during a nice summer shower.

No more excuses...like your parents use to say, why don't you go outside and play!


Mark Sisson talked about play at Marksdailyapple

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Battle of the Sweet Tooth

No matter how committed we are to our personal health and nutrition, we all have foods that we crave and at the smell of, have a hard time resisting. For some people it's pizza or fries, but for me it's sweets and chocolate. I figured it would be helpful to let you know how I deal with and kick those cravings to the curb! It's not easy by any means, but these tips can help you win the battle.

1. Fruit - Is a great natural way to have a little something sweet. I have fruit after dinner every night as a dessert. I feel like it finishes off my meal and really settles that craving.

2. Greek Yogurt - If just the fruit isn't going to cut is try some fat free Greek yogurt. It is loaded with protein and if you sweeten it with some frozen fruit or agave nectar it is so yummy! Thaw the fruit in the microwave and it will also create a bit of fruit juice syrup to sweeten the yogurt. Not only will it help that sweet craving, but the protein will help fill you up.

3. Smoothies - Fruit or fruit and protein smoothies are a great treat (homemade, not from those one's at the mall!). I mix yogurt with a little fresh and frozen fruit. Our Family's personal favorite is strawberry pineapple, including our 8 yr old. If it's summer time pop them in little paper cups with a Popsicle stick and freeze. Makes a great treat for a hot day.

4. Shakeology - Chocolate is a craving I battle with daily. I have found that Chocolate Shakeology helps me to settle that craving for the rest of the day. I wake up in the morning looking forward to my glass. I also notice that I have few to almost zero cravings for "unhealthy" foods through out the day if I have my Shakeology in the morning.

5. Cocoa Almonds - We all know that the fat in nuts is good for us. I personally eat almonds daily and I have recently found a sweet little almond treat. Emerald nuts make a cocoa covered almonds, not chocolate but cocoa. The nuts are roasted with a cocoa powder coating. They are a nice afternoon pick me up. My only trouble is wanting to eat more than one serving!

Work with these tips and you will learn to win the battle with your sweet tooth. Also remember that a treat once in a while is okay, go for the piece of cake on your birthday or anniversary but just one and only once in a while (go for something from scratch and not out of a box).

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Food, Inc Movie

This looks really interesting....caught it on Mark's Daily Apple. This is one we will be seeing as soon as we can!


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Some sage advice from Carl Daikeler, CEO Beachbody

Great post from Carl's blog on "net-iquette" especially for those of who are Independent Beachbody Coaches....take a look, this is one blog worth following!

Carl's Blog

Friday, June 12, 2009

Tony Horton in Atlanta

Here's a quick little clip from Tony Horton down in Atlanta doing what he does best!


The God Father of Fitness

Jack Lalanne had fitness and nutrition figured out years ago....here are two samples of some of his insights. The scary thing is that what he was discussing then is still true today! I wish I knew what takes to wake people up, I was one of those slaves to poor nutrition and fitness. We all were! We need to stop being "sugar zombies" as I call them and wake up! Take responsibility for yourself and your health...it doesn't take some PhD to figure it out either....just some common sense and that is what Jack is all about!

Sugarholics

Slave

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Tomato Basil Chicken

I made this last night for Pat and I. I opened the fridge to find the chicken and had no idea what I was going to make until I looked out the kitchen window and saw the fresh basil. This was a quick favorite with Pat, and I love the fact that I can throw it together in less than 15 minutes. Steam some veggies to go with it and you have a perfect meal. Hope everyone enjoys!

1 lb Boneless Chicken Breast (thin cut)
1 tbs Olive Oil
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
4 Cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Fresh Basil
4 tbs grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper


Heat olive oil in pan. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic to the heated oil and saute. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Add chicken to hot pan and cook completely. Add diced tomatoes, remaining crushed garlic and fresh basil to the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve each chicken breast with a 1/4 of the sauce and 1 tbs of grated Parmesan Cheese.

Makes: 4 serving
Calories: 207 Fat: 7g Carbs: 6g Fiber: 1g Protein 29. (Listed on myfitnesspal as Granite Fit - Tomato Basil Chicken)

Friday, June 5, 2009

Fish Oil

Mark's Daily Apple had a great read yesterday on Fish Oil, something I've been taking for quite some time...has lots of great cardiovascular and whole body benefits as it acts as a natural anti-inflammatory! Take a read, it will be worth your time.

Fish Oil

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Project: You! Type 2 Price Cut

Beachbody has taken the fight against Type 2 diabetes again, they've halved the price of Kathy Smith's Project: You! Type 2 which was developed in conjunction with the American Diabetes Association.

Beachbody Description:

The only diet and fitness program developed in conjunction with doctors, certified diabetes educators, and the American Diabetes Association, Project: YOU! Type 2 is the first all-in-one solution to help manage diabetes, reduce your risk for diabetes complications, and get back in control of your life!

Limited Time Price:$59.85 (through July 31 2009 only)

Here is the update from BNN:

Monday, June 1, 2009

Mix it Up Round Chest & Back June 1

Pat and I had a little bit of fun with the video camera tonight and got some good footage of Pat on the new Elite Rings.




Pat also got some video of me doing some pull-ups. Couldn't do one the beginning of the last round and on the first legs and back workout last Friday I got a total of 55 unassisted so we had to get some video. So ladies don't be afraid to lift heavy on those heavy pants and lawnmowers it will help you achieve those unassisted pull-ups.



Pesto Chicken w/ Broccoli

This recipe has become a favorite of my eight year old son. He really likes to help me make the pesto sauce. If you have a food processor the pesto sauce is easy to make and you can keep it in the fridge to quickly throw together a meal during the week.


2.5 oz package of Basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbs Parmesan cheese
2 lbs of chicken breast
1 tsp of dry basil
1 lb of broccoli
16 oz package of multigrain/wheat penne pasta


Cook pasta according to package directions.

Toast pine nuts of medium heat until lightly browned. In food processor combine basil, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, chicken broth, 3 cloves of garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Blend until combined. If sauce is too thin add a little more chicken broth. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Chop chicken breast in small 1" cubes. Heat non-stick pan and coat with cooking spray. Cook final clove of garlic in pan add chicken and cook thoroughly and season with dry basil. Steam broccoli until tender. Combine pasta, pesto sauce, chicken and broccoli and top with small amount of shredded Parmesan cheese.

Makes 8 servings.
Calories (still need to calculate breakdown will post later)

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Elite Rings




Okay...like a kid at Christmas right now! My Elite Fitness Rings ( http://www.ringtraining.com/ ) came in this week. If you haven't seen these things check out the website I listed...they add a whole new dimension to your workout (like P90X), especially in pushups, dips, and pullups as they recruit more muscle into the movement. These are similar to what gymnasts use and I know we have all seen the kind of shape those folks are in!

Tony Horton even uses ring training in his sunday workout routines....here is a vid of Tony doing "muscle ups" one of the hardest moves on the rings at Muscle Beach in Santa Monica (well and Iron Cross is pretty crazy too!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5qfFdj2lxw&feature=channel_page

Here is my setup in our home gym...bought a 2x6, cut it to span across three floor joists (want to distribute the load), drilled two holes for each joist and put in 5/8x4 lag bolts, drilled holes 19.7" apart for the eye bolts (rates at 1200lbs each...I think they will hold ), bought some real carabiners and then ran the straps for the rings through the carabiners...

Maybe I'll get some video of us using them? This is all part of our "Mix it Up" Round of P90X...


Saturday, May 30, 2009

Cravings vs Hunger

I've read a lot of messages on the TBB forums lately where people are talking about eating clean but still wanting to run out and grab some pizza or a burger etc...and I remembered reading an article on Mark's Daily Apple about the differences between true hunger which is a physiological response vice a craving which is a psychological response that can be triggered by things in our daily life, kind of like an addiction...anyways check out the article it some good "food for thought" (pun intended)

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/hunger-cravings/

let us know what you think....

Friday, May 29, 2009

Mark's Daily Apple

I wanted to point out a great fitness and nutrition site, Mark's Daily Apple, which is the site for Mark Sisson, the creator of the P90X Recovery Drink which so many of us love! The motto is:

A Blog that Helps People Achieve Health and Wellness

Mark has a new book out on "Primal" nutrition....I plan on getting a copy at some point. So take a look when you get a chance.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Friday, May 22, 2009

Shakeology Weeks 7 & 8

I'm sitting here drinking my wonderful Shakeology as I write this. You would think after eight weeks of the same shake it would get old or boring. Not for me, I wake up daily craving it and have it for breakfast 90 percent of the time because, I just can't wait until later in the day to have it.

The weight loss has continued for weeks 7 and 8 totaling 2.2 lbs for the two weeks and a total of 9.4lbs for eight weeks. The shake has helped me feel full throughout the morning to the point where I really have to think and remind myself to have a morning snack. I'm also a total chocoholic and the shake being chocolate, has helped to almost eliminate my cravings.

On Mother's Day I got my mother to try one of the chocolate shakes. She loved the flavor and I told her of all the benefits I was having with the shakes, so she ordered a 30 day supply to see how she would like it.

Well I am happy to report after 4 days she is hooked and is already seeing great benefits. As longs as I can remember my mother hasn't been able to sleep well at night. A good night for her is a few hours of sleep. The first night she slept straight through the night and told me that she woke up rested and relaxed. She said "usually in a years time frame she only has one night that she feels like that in the morning". That was just the first day of Shakeology. Here restful nights and relaxed mornings have continued through day four and she said that the restful sleep is worth every penny of the cost of Shakeology!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Trying to gain mass...avoid the alcohol

I've always had a hard time gaining lean mass. It's a challenge for me and something I work at...got this article from another coach about how alcohol counters the gains made in adding lean mass

Article

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Chicken Parmesan

This is one of our favorite recipes, even our 8 year old loves this meal. To save on the carbs usually we only serve it with a salad and a veggie. It's guaranteed to be a family favorite.


4 (4oz) thin cut chicken breasts

1/3 cup dry whole wheat bread crumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking spray

¼ cup red wine

1 jar tomato basil pasta sauce

½ cup low-fat or skim mozzarella cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese


Pound chicken with mallet or large pan until breast thickness is about a ¼”. Coat each chicken breast in bread crumbs.

Heat olive oil or cooking spray in large skillet. Add chicken breast and brown on each side until chicken is cooked through and remove. Reduce heat and add wine to pan to deglaze and then add pasta sauce. Add chicken back to pan and cover each chicken breast with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer until the cheese is melted and the sauce is heated.


Calories: 350 Fat: 8gs Carbs: 25gs Fiber: 3gs Protein: 35gs