Helen ~ Heynen

Okay, so I feel like there has been a storm around me for the last little , actually more like a mini blizzard....and not much of anything has been getting done....some of it has been outside my control and well...some of it has been, so it is time to put my foot down....

It's time to begin at the beginning....it's kind of like a chain of command....when I am not paying attention, I am not acting on....and sometimes I end up getting caught up going in the wrong direction. Until...I realized something's not right, something is completely "out of whack" and it comes time for me to refocus.....and stop backing out of the promise I made to myself.

First those whispers start in ear . . then those whispers get a little bit louder . . .then it taps me on the shoulder. .then it hits me on the arm . . and finally, it hits me on the head with a 2x4 -- all for my own own good of course!

I needed to make a new commitment.....

Have you ever said you were going to do something, and then not do it? I see disappointment in others when I don't follow through, and sometimes I am disappointed in others because they don't follow through. But then I realized that when you cannot commit to your self, others cannot commit to you either.
The fact of the matter is when I do things for other people but not for myself, or every time I back out of a promise to myself (food, bad habits, my workouts) I am telling myself that I am not trustworthy as a leader...and that I cannot be trusted. I am also sending the message that I am not worthy, not deserving .

So time to get busy and honor my promise!

So here it goes:

For the next 30 days I will:

1) Read and gain knowledge about health and fitness everyday and apply it in some what that will motivate/inspire me in real life and into action...

2) Encourage someone in fitness

3) Remind myself that the perfect body starts with the perfect heart

4) You know I have to go here....EAT CLEAN! Lets see how I do with that baby.....(one earned meal per week)

5) Increase sleep hours( I have been doing soooooo bad with this and I feel it)

Sounds simple??? My five point star...lets see if I can hang on for the next 4 weeks....

We all have goals, a vision a dream to be where we want to be...and when I think of fitness, I think of the holistic approach....following so far???

I often hear "finding the balance"...as I know how hard it is for everyone to be able to manage their own fitness and the daily challenges of their lifestyles and responsibilities. I know...I know...been there, done that.

What do I think of when I think of balance????

Ta DA!!!

I think of scales....and how much I HATE them!!!! They trick you....we over-measure, we over - weigh ourselves...and it is cheating....they confuse us! This is in the demon....stay away from it!

It's not realistic.
~ I have yet to meet anyone who can maintain perfect balance for an extended period of time, we all know that fitness and well-being has it's good days and it's not so good days.It's not perfectly measurable.
~ We over measure our food, we read too much into our scales and weight....and it...um....just pretty much...SUCKS.

It's linear.

Any slight change can throw a scale off....is it ever perfectly aligned. Probably not. If one side is over powering, it means the other side is sacrificing again. And again, how is that even fair????

So....

As I mentioned in one of my goals above, the aim was to be inspired and gain knowledge and use it to apply to my OWN personal fitness and well-being.

How was I inspired? A child and a little doodling....(doodling is another topic all on it's own)

But...here I was listing out my goals on a napkin and a child turned to me and asked me how to make a 5 point star....okay...no prob right? She want

ed to get the star perfect...so I taught her the way I learned...and without getting into specifics, I taught her to make some a regular star with the continues lines that cross-over and then erase out the middle...so we worked on that together...but then it occurred to me. Life/Fitness/Well-being is not a linear thing, it is not easily balanced and it literally allows for little or no connectivity or ability to shift from one tothe other without sacrificing one for the other....I opted not to erase the lines from the middle of our sketchy star.....I thought about my vision, my drive, my dreams, my future and what matters the most to me...so this

is what I came up with....

From now on....I will vow to find a way to develop on every point....it is what drives me...make sense?

Good.

So from this day forward.....there will be NO: IF's, BUT's, JUST's, or Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda's....it will be just quite simply.

JUST DO THEM!!!!!

Around 1.5 years ago I had a fierce energy.....I was well establish into my P90X fitness regime and feeling strong and willing to take on any challenge that was presented to me....and with that came a moment when I wanted to capture some of the variety of the moves from each of the 12 workouts in the P90X program.
I must mention the extra move that was put in to the video composite as this was a challenge that was presented to me by a fellow x'er...as a number of us in a large group were challenging some new techniques to incorporate into a 30 day group endurance/strength challenge. I just thought it would be FUN to include it as part of the montage of this project.

My hope was to make aware of the uniqueness and diversity of the program and to demonstrate the that moves were not just your typical mantra of workouts that you often see out there.....but that this program is designed to increase not only strength, develop lean muscle mass, build endurance, but to also shape and define your body with amazing results in a short period of time. I also wanted others, to see, feel inspired, (particularily women) to venture out and feel confident in themselves to decide, commit and succeed the way I had....so with that said. I hope you enjoy.....and walk away feeling energized and enthused either for the first time or for those days when you just rather NOT JUST DO IT!!!!!

I would also like to take this moment to thank my fellow P90Xer and friend, John Warner, for voluneering his time and experience in putting this video together for me. I am truly greatful.....the response as you can see is off the charts....so in sum, mission accomplished in what I had initially set out to do.

Thanks for watching!

This past weekend was the our Windsor/Detroit P90X Meltdown. To me it was a success!!!! Had it been a success if one person would have showed up?-- HECK YES!!!!!!
Any time any amount of energy is expanded is truly a success! To be able to share with 22 other committed individuals is a true blessing as well as motivator to keep the spirit of fitness and camaraderie alive!!!!!
It all started off with 3 of Tony Hortons workouts: Ab Ripper X, Cardio X and Tony's 1:1 Mammoth UML (Upper Middle Lower)
We were toasty toast by the end, but feeling alive and accelerated!
Together, we all shared in a fine feast of food and fueled our expired bodies. We shared our experiences and laughed and laughed and laughed.....
Good times!
I think the most important aspect of these group workouts, is that I always get the opportunity to share my experience and enthusiasm and learn from others. Sometimes we need to venture out and see what our bodies are really capable of doing, stepping outside our comfort zones and personal boxes that feel safe that we are always in the process of discovering that it is not so much what you're not, but discovering what you are and what you are capable of.......

This strong commitment to team was inspired by another group event that was held in Toronto Ont, by a group of other p90X enthusiasts.
When we reached out together, we were able to see the abundance of energy and dedication, 35 people were able to come together in one room and the energy was amazing.
It was moving...... in the literal and emotional sense. I left that weekend feeling passionate again and ready to take on the world and work harder towards my own personal fitness goals. We not only built upon our own fitness goals, but also built upon existing and future friendships -- a foundation that is hard to penetrate. This ultimately keeps the spirit alive.
Besides, who doesn't want a little spirit and dedicated positive people in their lives to help them move through their own being the best they can be??????
I am so honored and proud to be able to surround and support these individuals who have come into my life!

GET INTO YOUR ZONE -- BUT EAT YOUR FROGS FIRST!

So so many things we have to accomplish throughout our day ... and many of these tasks, large or small, may be something that we are dreading. Whether it be time consuming, hard or just inconvenient. At the end of the day, they must still be done. If you are like me, you want them done perfectly especially if they are going to represent you or have your likeness associated with them. . No matter what, I want to keep great attitude while doing whatever must be done, with all my heart. Besides, what are our choices? To grumble through a workout? Or be the miserable one waiting in line at the grocery store, or put off having to get that project done all weekend long and then havingto do it anyway? I am not going to pretend to be some tinkerbell that doenst have a good "BF" once in a while and who doesn't have any barriers that I need to hurdle, but I want a big portion of my legacy that I leave behind, to have the stamp of a girl that trudged onward with a smile. :)

Either way.. it has to be done, why not do it with all of my heart..... AND with a smile!

So next time you feel like you want to flip the bird.........

~ H

Tony Horton’s 11 Laws of Fitness

1. Variety - Variety is the spice of life and fitness. A lifetime of health and fitness is achievable when you can think outside the box. You have to mix it up all the time. Stay curious, creative, and stick with the kinds of workouts that you enjoy. A variety of exercises, workouts, and sports will allow you to avoid injuries, plateaus, and boredom.
2. Consistency - Improvement and change occur when you do things often. Stopping and starting all the time will kill any momentum you need to succeed. You must find ways to stay in the game. Moderate forms of exercise, done consistently, provide far better results than the occasional full-body pummeling. A lifestyle that includes multiple forms of exercise five to six days a week guarantees results.
3. Intensity - YOU’RE TOUGHER THAN YOU THINK. The fear of pain or injury from working out is a mindset steeped in failure. You must learn to “Find the Line.” Do the extra rep or two, increase your range of motion, and increase resistance as you get stronger. Intensity goes hand in hand with Variety and Consistency. The combination of the three work together as a triad that creates a platform for success. The programs provide variety. Your plan will keep you consistent.
4. Purpose - Your purpose is to have a better life. Exercise and eating right help you feel better. When you feel better, you do more. When you do more, you meet other people. A healthy lifestyle gives us the energy to be better than before. We want to participate, share, communicate, and build a community—have purpose in our lives. If you had never found Beachbody, you might be right back where you were—isolated, with nothing to share, no purpose, because you weren’t doing anything with anyone.
5. Reality - Why do we want life to be different than it is? Why do we think about who we were and who we’re going to be more than who we are? We certainly talk a good game about who we are now. Why do we try to predict the future with the hope that wishful thinking is enough to change it? Life is NOT the way it was. It’s the way it is. Life is not our fantasy predictions of the future or our glory days of the past. Life is that thing that is happening to you as you read this. We fall into the trap of living in the past and future because right here is not good enough. Back then and up there are keeping you from right now.
6. Sports - Take the onus off of weight, inches, and body fat percentages and put the focus on MOVING—from dancing, rock climbing, and mountain biking to table tennis. I love that ping-pong! Think in terms of “can do” instead of “look like.” Sports are fun and help develop balance and coordination—which in turn accelerates your results. Jump, kick, run, spin, throw, skate, shoot, hit, score, compete . . . PLAY!
7. The Plan - SCHEDULE ALL WORKOUTS IN ADVANCE. This creates accountability. Plan an entire month ahead of time. Try to schedule as many workouts as possible with friends who have similar goals. WOWY was developed so that we could find an easy and effective way to stay accountable and work out together. Now we’ve got people in all over the world working out at the same time. That is cool!
8. Sleep (and stress) - Stressed out, sleep-deprived people don’t eat right and exercise regularly. Stress depletes energy, strength, and desire, while poor sleep habits affect your moods and immune function along with cognitive and motor performance. Burning the candle at both ends makes it impossible to be fit and healthy.
9. Loving It - Exercise and workouts involve commitment, determination, planning, consistency, and intensity. If you don’t like what you’re doing, there’s no way on earth you’ll succeed. Enthusiasm is a very big piece of the puzzle. Get creative and stay curious. If you enjoy doing Power 90 exclusively and it works for you, then keep doing it until it doesn’t. If you get part way through P90X and it’s not your cup of tea, then stop, and do something else. Something’s got to bring you back day after day, week after week. Love it (tolerate it) or leave it.
10. Flexibility - Flexibility is the fountain of youth. Flexible people are much less prone to injury. Yoga and stretching allow you to bring more intensity to your workouts. Flexibility is the key component to becoming less vulnerable and more durable. Aging has a funny way of making everything we do harder. Staying limber and flexible is the way to prevent that from happening.
11. Food and Supplements - You are what you eat! Food and supplements are your fuel. The right fuel supplies proper energy and recovery through balanced brain chemistry. The right supplements simply fill in gaps in your diet.

“Food is 99.5% and all based on , if it walks, flies or swims, eat it and if it grows out of the ground, eat that too. Everything else isn't food, it's entertainment!”

Your New Meal Template will look like this:

Breakfast:
--carb
--dairy
--fruit

Snack:
--protein
--dairy
--fruit

Lunch:
--carb (REMOVE IF YOU WANT)
--protein
--veggies

Snack:
--protein

Dinner:
--protein
--veggies
--carb (but try to not eat carbs at night!)

STEP 2: From Template to picking foods you like!

Now that you’ve created your “template” you’re ready to fill in the categories by picking and choosing foods you like!!

Nutritional Index
Calories 1,407
Carbs 142 g
Protein 115 g
Fat 44 g

Breakfast
Egg white Omelet and Toast

Snack
Strawberry Protein Smoothie

Lunch
Chicken, Spinach, walnuts, raisions, red onions, rasberry vinagarette dressing

Snack
Apple and Low-Fat Cheese

Dinner
Chicken, Sweet Potato, Peas, and Carrots

Nutritional Index
Calories 1,414
Carbs 167 g
Protein 118 g
Fat 35 g
Fiber 25 g

Breakfast
Oatmeal with Banana

Snack
Celery and Peanut Butter

Lunch
Roast Beef Reuben and Salad

Snack
Strawberry Yogurt Protein Smoothie

Dinner
Chicken Burrito with Rice and Beans

Nutritional Index
Calories 1,384
Carbs 153 g
Protein 104 g
Fat 45 g
Fiber 36 g

Breakfast
Oatmeal with Blueberries and Almonds

Snack
Pear and Low-Fat Cheese

Lunch
Chicken and Avocado Sandwich

Snack
Raspberry Protein Smoothie

Dinner
Halibut, Broccoli, Sweet Potato, and Salad

Nutritional Index
Calories 1,418
Carbs 145 g
Protein 112 g
Fat 48 g
Fiber 24 g

Breakfast
Broccoli and Feta Omelet with Toast

Snack
Apple and Peanut Butter

Lunch
Turkey Burger

Snack
Yogurt with Kiwi and Flaxseed

Dinner
Chicken Pita

Nutritional Index
Calories 1,416
Carbs 171 g
Protein 104 g
Fat 39 g
Fiber 30 g

Breakfast
Oatmeal with Raspberries

Snack
Almonds

Lunch
Chicken Pita

Snack
Peach Yogurt Protein Smoothie

Dinner
Steak, Brussels Sprouts, and Salad

My typical meal packed for a day looks like this: Learn to love plastic!!!!!

This is just a small sample of recipes and ideas and I want to make it as easy for you as possible and within reason so that you will be able to stay on track!!!!! You can find more and personalize your menu plan through the club membership through beachbody which you can try out for FREE for 30 days. This is where you can create your own personal meal plan,(vegetarian Meal plans are available!) have access to Miche's Ladder, calculate your body fat, healthy weight and caloric needs, you will also have access to SLIM KITCHEN, which will provide you with how to eat healthy, give you some more YUMMY easy recipes and even help you organize your kitchen. Everything you need is right there at your finger tips and it is just a click away!!!! You just plug in your favorites and it will menu plan and sort out your grocery list for you. I usually use the portion plan in the X nutritional guide and follow the 2 top tiers of Miches Ladder.

I can help you figure out your nutrition that will carry you through your workout plan....and we can also discuss in more detail the fundementals around Carb Manipulation to enhance your results faster but basically the formula is broken down as follows:

On resistance days: MORE CARBS: 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

On cardio days: LOWER my carbs: 30% carbs, 50% protein, and 20% fat.

HAPPY EATING!!!!!!

In my early stages of joining beachbody, I went into a Tony Horton Chat....I was a newbie, stuggling....facing a brick wall and lots of barriers and negative influences in my journey and here I was in a chat room watching Tony Horton ramble away listing off all these things. But I couldn't put it into perspective until I saw it all down together on a peice of paper....and yet, somehow after that chat, I felt different: I felt empowered and no longer wanted to let outside influences dictate my life, but that I needed to make choices.....and this message couldn't have come at a better time at that point in my life. I know carry this message with me everywhere I go...it's those little things that you pick up along your path of life that impact you on so many levels and which help you to persevere though anything life throws at you at any given time. This week, I added a deck card, a 10 of hearts to that collection....little tangable items that remind me of the important things in life.....but sometimes you just want to share. Tony shared this with me, and I want to pass it on in hopes that it will impact someone out there the way it did me.

The Power of Choice How will you choose today?
WAR OR PEACE
HATE OR UNDERSTANDING
LIES OR TRUTH
CONFUSION OR CLARITY
RIDICULE OR PATIENCE
IRREVERENCE OR DEVOTION
ENVY OR GRATITUDE
SELF-PITY OR SELF-RELIANCE
INSANITY OR AWAKENING
TAKING OR GIVING
THE FIX OR THE WORK
MANIPULATION OR VULNERABILITY
ISOLATION OR COMMUNITY
COMPLANING OR LISTENING
JUDGEMENT OR ACCEPTANCE
ANGER OR WISDOM
VIOLENCE OR CIVILITY
SELFISHNESS OR SELFLESSNESS
JEALOUSY OR CONTENTMENT
NEED OR HAVE
IGNORE OR EXPLORE
LETHARGY OR ENERGY
REGRET OR ACTION
SELF-DOUBT OR SELF APPROVAL
SORROW OR HOPE
DESPAIR OR SERENITY
GUILT OR GROWTH
DRUG & ALCOHOL OR POWER & COURAGE
BLAME OR FORGIVENESS
WANT OR SHARE
SADDNESS OR JOY
DARKNESS OR LIGHT
EMPTINESS OR SOULFULNESS
ARROGANCE OR EMPATHY
IMPATIENCE OR DISCIPLINE
LAZINESS OR PERSVERENCE
TEMPTATION OR CONSCIOUSNESS
FEAR OR LOVE
You choose your emotions and reactions to everything going on around you. Some days will be easier than others, but at any given moment you get to choose how to effect your life and all the people in your life. How will you choose?

So I leave you with one of my favorite poems of all time!!!!!

The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

~ Robert Frost.