Do YOU wanna be a Hot Mama???

I am offering a very small group of women the opportunity to participate in a special "Hot Mama Fat Loss" club. You will receive The Hot Mama Fat Loss Program including nutrition guidence, fat zapping workouts that will only take you about 90 minutes a week, personal attention and your most burning questions answered by myself. Not some computer.

There will be a private community to blog your food, workouts, successes and struggles. Find support, motivation and expert advice. Get personal one on one attention from me, your fat loss coach and trainer.

There will be some special requirements, and you will have to qualify.

1. You must be willing to take before and after pictures and post in the private community or submit to me by email.

2. You must journal your workouts, and nutrition in the private community.

3. You must be willing to right a testimonial about your results at 6 weeks and 12 weeks.

If you are interested in being considered for this exclusive pre-release of The Hot Mama Fat Loss Program. Please send me a personal email telling me why you would like to be involved.

You will receive a private invitation from me if you are choosen to be 1 of 20 women choosen to participate.

Send me your request and reason to Carmel at carmelbutterfly77@yahoo.com

Is It 5 a Day???

Who else is confused on how many fruits and veggies we should be getting every day?
Well I decided to check it out for you. We are suppose to be eating 5 servings of fruits AND 5 servings of veggies everyday. No wonder we aren't getting enough fiber right! To help you clarify just how much you should eat I am listing the serving size of the most common fruits and veggies.

Remember we "Fight Fat with Fiber". If it's the only thing you do this week to improve your fat loss efforts this is the one to go for!

Fruit

1 medium apple, orange, or pear
1/2 if large
1/4 cup of dried fruit3/4 cup (6 ounces) of 100% fruit or vegetable juice
1/2 cup grapes, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, ect.

Vegetables

1 cup of leafy vegetables, spinach, romaine lettuce, ect.1/2 cup of cooked or raw vegetables, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, ect.

Juice 6oz. 100% fruit or vegetable

Dried fruit 1/4 cup raisins, prunes, dried apricots, etc.

So getting 5 servings of fruit would be like having 1 large apple, 1 large orange and a handful of blueberries. 5 servings of Veggies would be 1 cup of spinach salad, 1 tomato, 1 cup of broccoli, and a handful of carrots. Not bad right? You could knock out the fruits in breakfast and your 2 snacks. Then your veggies at lunch and dinner or lunch, snack and dinner. You will fill up with less calories and shed fat FAST!

What are your favorite fruits and veggies? Leave me a comment and tell me what they are.

Photo courtesy of Canadian Pacific on Flickr

Chocolate Banana Pancakes

Who says pancakes are fattening? Not these! Slim down your tummy with these quick yummy chocolate banana pancakes. Even your KIDS will love these!



Chocolate Banana Pancake
1 serving

1 egg
2 egg whites
1 tbls coaco
2 dash cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla (real extract)
1 banana
1 tsp coconut oil
(optional peanut butter for topping, real organic butter or real maple syrup)

Try this out on your kids this Christmas vacation. This will take 5 min tops! Who says it takes too much time to have a healthy breakfast? Let me know how you and your family liked it. Hey now making fun of my cute HO HO HO pants! Merry Christmas!

How To Lose Weight Over The Holidays!

Need some real life tips to get you through the holidays? Follow these through the New Year to keep off those 5-10lbs most people gain! That wont be you this year! Use these 6 tips to get sexy over the holidays this year.

1. Dream a little about what you REALLY want, not about what you think is possible. What do you REALLY want?

2. Write it down! Keep it with you in your purse and another copy beside your bed, in your suitcase, and in your car. Where ever you will be this holiday season. Read it morning & night. Anytime you get an urge to binge on fast food or dessert. Just think about your goal and it will pass within 15min.

3. Drink 1 liter of water per 50lbs of body weight.

4. Whenever you leave the house make sure you have a snack, an apple, string cheese, and raw almonds work perfect on the go. Keep this in your car and in your purse.

5. Don't give yourself a free pass to eat everything in site for a week! The holidays are not a free pass to put your weight loss on hold! This will only set you back 5-10lbs

6. Do stock up on your multi-vitamin, omgea's (fish oil), & vitamin D (prograde has THE best vitamins and omega's (fatty acids...efa's). There is a link there on the right if you are looking for a great source. Your vitamins and omega's will ward off hunger and speed up your metabolism.

That's it! Those simple REAL LIFE steps DO work! So you may not be on your normal schedule but you CAN and WILL lose during the holidays!!! So go do it! Lets see that HOT body Feb 14th huh!

Modified Fresh Spinach Scramble

If you were blessed enough to get in on the 12 days of fitness this year then you might have seen this receipe...well one like it in my "Hot Mama Meals For a Flat Tummy" I thought you would like a video demo and another version of the dish. Enjoy!

12 Days of Fitness

If you are anything like me you love to get presents as much as give them! I am loving the gifts from 12 Days of Fitness...there are still 9 days left...YIPPIE! There is no catch it's all FREE! Over 250 of the worlds leading fitness experts are dishing the insider secrets. Seriously no matter what your goal is. There is something for EVERYONE. You can still get in on the giving spree HERE. My free "Hot Mama Recipes For a Flat Tummy" is on day 2 but be sure to start at day one so you dont miss out. Just look at the bottom of the page for the previous days.

Just 2 Days Till it's here!!!

Dont miss out this is gonna be HUGE! Over 250 Fitness Experts are GIVING AWAY their top stratigies, workouts, & recipes on achieving your goals!

You will get to try out my favorite PMS pudding, blueberry muffin and mini pizzas! I am so excited, I signed up last year and it was AMAZING! If you haven't yet click HERE to get your name on santa's fitness list!

Merry Christmas!

Are You Getting Enough Iron?

Im not talking about pumping iron this time either. If you are low on iron you could have low energy, iron is a mineral that our bodies need. Iron is a part of all cells and does many things.

For example, iron (as part of the protein hemoglobin) carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies. Having too little hemoglobin is called anemia. Iron also helps our muscles store and use oxygen. which is obviously very important while working out and trying to lose weight.

Enzymes help our bodies digest food and also help with many other important reactions that occur within our bodies. Also very important when trying to tone up and lose weight. When our bodies don’t have enough iron, many parts of our bodies are affected.

You should get your iron levels tested by your doctor but I have put together a list of foods that you can incorperate into your diet in order to get more iron in your meals.

• Fortified Cereals
• Chicken liver (eww)
• Clams
• Oysters
• Soy beans, mature
• Pumpkin and Squash seeds roasted
• White beans
• Lentils
• Spinach
• Beef
• Kidney beans
• Chickpeas
• Duck
• Lamb
• Prunes
• Shrimp
• Cowpeas
• Lima beans
• Soy beans, green
• Navy beans

Listed from excellent to good sources.

Photo courtesy of devlyn on flickr

3 Months To a Leaner You!

This First 4 weeks is all about setting a routine. You will learn exactly where to start!

Forget about New Years Resolutions, you will be 6 steps ahead of the rest!

• Clean out your kitchen: Throw out anything with high fructose corn syrup, white flour, sugar, and anything else you cant even pronounce.



• Restock your kitchen with fresh & frozen organic fruit, vegetables, organic lean ground beef, fish, shrimp, scallops, tuna, slow cook brown rice, old fashioned oatmeal, organic cottage cheese, fresh ground peanut butter or adams brand (nothing but peanuts is the point), quality protein powder with low carbs, and a quality meal replacement drink. email me if you would like my recommendation.



• Stock up on your vitamins, B12, D, and a multi. (I will fill you in on their benifits later, they are worth taking.)



• Fill up your water bottle, you need 1 liter (34oz) per 50lb body weight



• Plan out 45min for yourself each day to get healthy and lean! Make it an appt. with yourself.



• Grab a notebook to start keeping a food journal, write down everything.

Go get started....what are you waiting for? Look for this weeks workout for super sexy abs.....

Vitamin D and Weight Loss

Clearly, vitamin D seems to be very important in regulating our weight. There is a correlation between rising rates of obesity and vitamin D deficiency.

If you are having difficulty with insulin resistance or weight gain — or can’t keep the pounds off once you lose them — you may want to have your vitamin D levels checked by your doctor.

Just recently I read that Vitamin D helps regulate your hormones....and what do your hormones regulate? Your weight! Well I'm not telling you if you go out and take your Vitamin D every day you will lose weight. But if you have been struggling with those last few pounds and have been sticking to your clean meal plans and workouts. This may be key in getting your body back in balance.

Living in Washington we miss the sun in the winter. We have been pretty blessed this year as it seems to be shining more often. But my point is no matter where you live if your not getting your Vitamin D from the sun you should be taking 1000-2000 IU per day.

Vitamin D also helps with "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (seasonal depression). Amongst other awesome benefits such as fighting menopause, and osteoporosis, and cancer.

You should be tested by your doctor for deficiency. It could be worth the 15 min. to see if you are.

photo courtesty of flickr

Fat Blasting Boot Camp







The Fat Blasting Boot Camp Program was designed by Angie Schumacher, a Certified Personal Trainer, for her boot camp class in Colorado. She wanted to ensure that her members received a total body workout in just 30 minutes-3 times a week.


With the Fat Blasting Boot Camp Program, you will start out with 2 weeks of "Get Started" workouts that will get your body ready for the upcoming 12 weeks of workouts. Each workout is linked to a video demonstration that will show you how to correctly do each exercise.


The Fat Blasting Boot Camp Program consists of 3 circuits—Strength, Cardio and Core. You begin with the strength training, which includes 4 exercises that will hit every muscle in your body. This will sculpt and tone your upper and lower body and elevate your heart rate, making sure you are burning tons of calories. The cardio training consists of 3 exercises that elevate your heart rate and boost your metabolism to ensure maximum fat burning. You then finish off with core training, which incorporates 3 exercises that will hit every inch of your abs, creating lean, sexy abs. After each workout, your body will continue to burn calories for the next few hours! No matter what fitness level you are at, all the workouts are easily suitable to meet your needs.


Not only do you get the most amazing and effective fat burning workouts, you will also receive Fat Blasting Meal Plan Ideas, which help you to plan your meals and help you achieve maximum results with this program. A copy of simple, Energy Producing Recipes that Angie has used over the years, will also be included. Lastly, you will get a private invitation to the FREE Fat Blasting Boot Camp forums where you can ask questions about the program, blog about your experience, chat with other women who are using the Fat Blasting Program and receive one on one attention from Angie Schumacher.


Why is this program different from the others? This is a program that can be used right in the comfort of your own home, with little to no equipment! No universal gym machines, cardio machines or gym membership is needed. What you WILL need is a medicine ball OR dumbbells OR a kettlebell , stability ball, a chair or a step. That’s it!


No need to spend tons of money on diet pills or diet programs or to be confused over all the contradicting information about fitness and weight loss, the Fat Blasting Boot Camp Program is your answer!


The Fat Blasting Boot Camp Program is backed by a 8-week money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied, you will receive your money back, no "ifs," "ands," or "buts." So you really have nothing to lose.

Click HERE to see what others had to say, and even before and after pictures!

Dont fall for the Acai Berry Myth

You can't really miss it on the Internet these days. Seems like everywhere you look there's another company promoting the nutritious Acai Berry as a weight loss miracle. And that's why I thought it was critical to write you today. I want to make sure you know my opinion on the subject.

First, you know better than to believe you're going to pop some pills - ANY pills - and have the pounds and inches melt off like magic. If you've been listening to me for any length of time you know true fat loss comes from a variety of factors, including exercise and proper nutrition.

Second, any fitness expert worth their fees will tell you that any diet that promotes you eat any one food all day long and then eat a sensible dinner, well, don't bother. Yes, you will lose some weight short-term, but as soon as you go back to your old eating habits - and you know you will - you know exactly what happens.

Third, the Acai Berry contains VERY powerful antioxidants and it is getting a lot of good press for that very reason. Yes, antioxidants as in the extraordinary nutrients that help fight the free radicals associated with aging, cancer risk and other degenerative diseases.

And while on the subject, I wanted to fill you in on something that has recently come to light. Did you know that coffee berries (the berry that covers the coffee bean) is one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet? It's something researchers have discovered in recent years. What's really cool is my friends at Prograde Nutrition have just created an amazing Whole Foods based Anti-Aging formula called Prograde Longevity that includes both Acai Berry and Coffee Berry. Oh, and it also utilizes Green Tea, Pomegranate, Wolf Berry and Biovin Grape (Red Wine extract.) Just to give you an idea of how powerful this formula is, well, you'd have to eat an entire POUND of raspberries to get the same ORAC value. And in case you're not familiar with the term, ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.

You can check out Prograde Longevity for yourself here: >> Prograde

Oh, and just so you know, you can't find Prograde products in stores anywhere. They're so exclusive they only let fitness experts work with their company to help them get the word out.

Yours in health,

Carmel

photo courtesy of : Açaí by Breno Peck

Fight Fat With Fiber

Check it out... I was published in the Chicago Sun-Times for this article.... Fight Fat With Fiber

It's all happening very quickly! I just told you a yesterday I was chosen to represent Kitsap County in this year's http://www.12daysoffitness.com/ gift-giving.

Well, I have just put the finishing touches on the recipe ebook I'm giving away and wanted to tell you all about it to make sure you don't miss out. After all, you're one of my own subscribers so I want to make sure that you don't miss out, right?

The new ebook is called "Hot Mama's Recipes For a Flat Tummy" and I've got to tell you, I'm really proud of it. In fact, I think it may just be my best piece of work to date because I've added literally all of my favorite recipes that will help teach you about eating healthy, fast & easy. Something that has taken me the last 7 years to experiment with.

The ebook will share secret recipes that I normally only reserve for my one on one clients like:

* Chocolate Muffins

* Mini Pizza

* PMS Pudding

* Breakfast Burritos

* 5 min. meals for Mamas on the go!

And so many more.

In fact, many other trainers have said I am insane for giving away all these secrect recipes but I dont care what they think, I want to make a real difference with this ebook and help you and the 500,000 other http://www.12daysoffitness.com/ readers to finally achieve a Flat Tummy eating REAL food that doesnt taste like cardboard, and that can be made in minutes.

But the thing is this report is ONLY for 12 days of fitness readers. I've promised Dax Moy, who put the 12 days together that I would create an exclusive gift for the program so it may be quite some time before I'm allowed to share it with you and my other readers.

That's why I want to make sure you get on over to http://www.12daysoffitness.com/ right away and sign up for the free gift giving. That way you'll get my Hot Mama Recipes For a Flat Tummy ebook and as many of the other 250 gifts as you want.

So don't miss out on this, or you will regret it!

Carmel

Local Fitness Expert Donates Free Fitness Resources To World's Largest Healthand Fitness Gift Giving Bonanza



Local fitness expert Carmel Wieland today announced a very special invite to take part in the world's largest ever fitness information gift-giving, http://www.12daysoffitness.com/ where an estimated 500,000 people will benefit from the combined fitness expertise of over 250 personal trainers, physical therapists and nutritionists.

Carmel Wieland was chosen to represent Kitsap County, Washington from among thousands of fitness experts in recognition of her specialist knowledge in the area of mom’s fat loss and is expected to make quite an impact when she releases her latest quick, healthy recipe ebook called Hot Mama Recipes For a Flat Tummy which is aimed at helping Moms to safely and rapidly lose belly fat with little time on their hands.

Carmel said "The reason I created this quick meal recipe book is because I believe that Mommies eat poorly with little time to cook nutritious, healthy, fat burning meals to get rid of their Mommy pooch and has become a real problem to so many Moms who have tried all of the traditional approaches to losing belly fat and yet still failed to achieve appreciable results. I wanted to give Moms a simple, straight forward, yet seriously effective means to finally get rid of the dreaded Mommy belly."

Carmel continued, "what makes the release of this report so special is that it's going to be part of a much bigger and impactful program as part of Dax Moy's '12 days of fitness' program where we anticipate that over 500,000 people will receive advice and help with achieving their health and fitness goals for 2009. To have been selected for such an important role within the project is a great honor indeed.

"You can receive your own free copy of Carmel Wieland‘s “Hot Mama Recipes for a Flat Tummy” and hundreds of others for free by visiting http://www.12daysoffitness.com/ and getting your name onto the gift list which will begin delivering fitness gifts worldwide from December 10th.

Leading Fitness Experts Give The Gift Of Health To World With Biggest Ever Health and Fitness Giveaway This Festive Season


On Wednesday, December 10, Dax Moy and over 250 of the world's top fitness professionals will open the doors on the World’s largest ever health and fitness gift-giving, set to generate positive health for over 500,000 people this Christmas.


The program, called ’12 days of fitness’ initially began when the UK's leading fitness professional, Dax Moy, wanted to express his gratitude to his clients and offered them a gift a day for 12 consecutive days as his twist of the 12 Days of Christmas.


Last year Moy shared this idea with fellow fitness professional Pat Rigsby and they expanded the 12 Days of Fitness to include not only their own clients but to the world at large and gave fitness gifts to over 200,000 people who signed up at the site at http://www.12daysoffitness.com/.


This year, with the help of 250 of the world's top personal trainers, nutritionists, therapists and specialist fitness experts, the 12 days of fitness is set to become the biggest fitness gift giveaway in history with expected downloads of over 500,000 between the 10th and 22nd of December. "There’s never been another health event like this, where so many people stand to benefit from the expertise of true professionals for free” says Moy who has been working flat out to make this year’s 12 days a success.



“Fitness professionals from around the globe have contributed hundreds of e-books, reports, videos, meal plans and other free gifts in their hope of making 2009 the year that anyone, regardless or their location, financial situation or past failures, can finally reach their fitness goals and make those New Year's Resolutions a reality once and for all.”


Perhaps the best part of the 12 Days of Fitness giveaway is that regardless of a persons health or fitness goals, there are going to be gifts specifically designed to help them achieve success.



"We've received gifts designed for busy mom's, elite athletes, bodybuilders, back pain sufferers and pretty much anyone else you can imagine covering everything from fat loss to rehabilitation and everything in between.


There literally will be something for everyone this year and all of it free, making it, without a doubt, one of the most important gifts anyone will receive this year. After all, what’s more important than health?


The 12 days of gift giving starts December 10th but those interested are urged to visit http://www.12daysoffitness.com/ right away to sign up for their free gifts.


Once enrolled, participants will get a daily email telling them how to access each of the new gifts that are being added each day as well as a reminder on how to access previous gifts.


To guarantee a healthy start to 2009, simply visit http://www.12daysoffitness.com/ today.

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories in the "Guide to Pesticides", the following twelve foods had the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown. Consequently, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume:

12 Foods That You Dont Have to Buy Organic

Broccoli

Eggplant

Cabbage

Banana

Kiwi

Asparagus

Sweet peas (frozen)

Mango

Pineapple

Sweet corn (frozen)

Avocado

Onion

Sources: DrWeil.com July 30, 2008 FoodNews.org Printable Shopper’s Guide

What Should You Buy Organic?

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories tested, these 12 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organic:

Peaches

Apples

Sweet bell peppers

Celery

Nectarines

Strawberries

Cherries

Lettuce

Grapes (imported)

Pears

Spinach

Potatoes

Strawberries were found to be highly toxic due to a poisonous blend of pesticides in a previous 2007 EU study as well. But be VERY careful as the list above is for fruits and vegetables. Non-organic meats have higher concentrations of pesticides than all of the fruits and vegetables. The highest concentration of pesticides is in non-organic butter. So if you can only buy one organic food item it should be butter. Next priority would be meats and once those are addressed, you will want to focus on the fruit and vegetable list above.

WOW! I Won!!!

Holy Smokes!!! I Won!!! Thanks to those of you who voted for me! http://www.transformationcontest.com/

I plan to win the 12 week challenge also...so stay tuned to see what happens!

I am logging all my food and workouts on Twitter click HERE to follow me

Time to Vote!

Hey look! Im a finalist!!! Wooohooo!!! Help me WIN! Your vote counts! Here is the link.....http://www.TransformationContest.com

Im gonna WIN the 12 week Contest too! Only 7.5 weeks left! Time to kick some butt!

Carmel's Results of the Turbulence Training Twitter Contest....

EEEEKKKKKK before:.........................................

And 4 Weeks After:..............................................

photo courtesy of Flickr

Here are some quick morning meals that will help us feel full but stay true to our clean eating. These are a few of my favorte old stand by breakfasts.

Banana Pancake

2 whole organic eggs

1 banana

dash of cinnamon

Mix in blender or a handheld mixer is really nice. Melt 1 tbs organic butter on med heat in pan. Once butter is melted pour batter into pan and let brown on one side then flip. Once both sides are browned whaalaa you have breakfast! You can sub banana for any other fruit play around with it it sounds weird but it's really yummy!

Berry Smoothie

1/2 cup organic lowfat yogurt with live cultures

1 cup of frozen berries

1 tbls natural peanut butter (fresh ground, adams, or organic from costco)

1 scoop protien powder (vanilla is the best in this) this is the best I have found here

Mix in blender or handheld mixer. Whaalaa another whole meal and cures the sweet tooth too!

Peanut Butter indudgence

1/3 cup organic cottage cheese

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

2 tsp natural peanut butter (fresh ground, adams, or organic from costco)

2 tbls flax meal

Mix all ingredients with spoon/fork in a bowl (use hand held mixer for smoother texter). This is so rich thick and delicious! Dont let the ingredients turn you off.

Egg & Veggie Scramble

1 cup frozen mixed veggies ( broccoli, carrots, califlower)

1 whole organic egg

2 egg whites

2 tbls salsa

Heat veggies in pan on med heat. Once veggies are thawed add egg and egg whites, scramble together then add salsa. Add hot sauce or crushed red pepper for more spice!

There you have it my favorite morning meals to get out the door in a hurry. Practice on the weekend to see how long it will take you to make and eat these. It only takes me about 10 min to make and 10 to eat at the very most.

Carmel's "I Want Skinny Jeans For Christmas!" Contest

So I got so sick of myself I decided to do something about it...again....

I have been starting things like "getting serious" since before summer started. I just wasn't able to stick with it. Was getting lazy, busy, had the wrong additude.

So with new determination and a little more incentive I decided to go at it again. Changed my workouts, the time of day I workout and started tracking my meals.

WOWA!!! I was eating wayyyyyyy too much!!! It was all clean foods, so I thought I was in the clear. Much to my suprise when I started logging them into Sparkpeople.com I realized I was way off.

First thing I did was decide how many cals I should eat.

Second chose a workout I would like to stick to for 4 weeks.

Third I joined a member site to talk to other people who are achieving the same goals I am and come from the same places I have been. This support I cant put a price on and I'm not trying to be all sales-y here Im totally dead serious! I have only been doing this 2 weeks and had a VERY hard busy week this past week and needed their support encouragment and "I know what you mean" comments. It never hurts to make more friends and help them through their struggles too. After all that's why I decided to become a trainer, I love helping people get results...I know what it feels like to feel gross and discusted about myself. I will post my original post of what I was feeling when I started this. Look for it at the end if you want to read it.

Then I set some goals!

Here they are......

Today Sept 1st Starting at

BF 28.3% (blech!)

tight size 10 (think muffin top)

Weight 172lb (very high for me, about 20 over last year in Sept)

Feel gross and mad at myself

SO MY GOALS ARE.....

Sept 28th

BF 26%

My Size 10 Jeans to fit comfy again

Weight 164lbs

Feel great about being back to myself again!

Oct. 31st

BF 23%

Size 10 Jeans falling off!

People are asking what Im doing to look so good...

Weight 154lbs

Look SMOKIN HOT in halloween costume

Nov. 30th

BF 20%

Size 8 Jeans fitting comfy now, very happy and proud of myself gonna keep going!

Weight 146lbs

I love my new shape, flat abs, shapley shoulders and arms!

Dec 14th

BF 18%

Size 6 Jeans

Weight 138lbs (dont care about this as much as the BF and jeans and of course the way I look and feel!!!)

Look SMOKIN for Christmas Pictures!

To determine my goals I thought about what I wanted my end result to be and then used that to count down what I would have to do each 4 weeks. It is realistic to lose 1-2lbs a week and 1-2% of BodyFat a month. Pant sizes are a little more difficult to determine since all brands run different. I wear american eagle jeans so I just go by what those feel like. Im thinking 1/2 size a month.

So there ya have it my personal struggles and goals! I will keep a log here of my results.

Here is what I was feeling and thinking when I started this 2 weeks ago.....

"Ok This is just disgusting!

I really feel so pissed at myself!

Nobody fed me anything I couldn't of said no to and there is always 15min here and there to get my workouts in. No excuses!

I deserve so much more than what I have been giving myself. I have done this before and I know I can do it again. Only this time I wont have to be researching and figuring out what works. I KNOW my stuff now....which is what makes it so irratating!!!

Ok done ranting. "

Wow! I dont have much to say about this but WOW!

August Sale 4 Days Only!!!

Need The Accountablity, Motivation and Know How of a Fitness Professional?

With Better Bodies by Carmel One on One Personal Training You:

Will Get The Insider Secrets to Melting Unwanted Ugly Fat

Will Get a Personalized Fitness Plan Designed Just For Your Goals

Will Get Nutritional Guidelines

Will Be Doing ONLY The Most Effective Exercises

Will Get RESULTS!

**AUGUST SPECIAL**

4 DAYS ONLY

In-Home One on One Personal Training

10 Sessions....$45.00 = 450

*offer ends August 10th

Quick Post

Get This - Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Is my Diet Coke making me FAT?

In my practice as a nutritionist and personal trainer, new clients are always coming to me telling me they are doing everything they are “supposed” to be doing, but still, do not lose weight. Of course, this is frustrating. Losing weight is hard enough, and to change your eating habits and still see no results, that’s even more frustrating.

So why do these people not lose weight? If I had to pick the most common reason why most people’s efforts have proved no results, I would say it is the deception of artificial sweeteners and processed diet foods. Yes, you heard right. It is the diet coke, diet snacks, processed foods and artificial sweetener in your coffee that is keeping you fat.

So how is this so?

Artificial sweeteners overwhelm your liver
Your liver is your largest internal organ, and it’s responsible for an astonishing variety of life-sustaining and health-promoting tasks, including those that make healthy weight loss and weight management possible. Integral to countless metabolic processes, the liver supports the digestive system, controls blood sugar and regulates fat storage. One of your liver’s most important functions, and the most crucial to your weight loss, is chemically breaking down everything that enters your body, from healthy vegetables, to not so healthy fast food, from healthy water to not so healthy soda.

It’s your liver’s job to distinguish between the nutrients you need to absorb and the dangerous or unnecessary substances that must be filtered out of your bloodstream. But when the liver is clogged and overwhelmed with toxins, like artificial sweeteners, it can’t do a very effective job of processing nutrients and fats. If it can not process the nutrients and fats that your body needs, this will cause you to gain weight or will prevent you from losing weight.

Your liver also produces bile, a crucial substance for detoxifying our bodies. It is the job of bile to help our bodies break down the fats we need and to assimilate fat-soluble vitamins. But when our bile becomes overly congested with the toxins it’s trying to filter out, it simply can’t function properly. It becomes thick, viscous and highly inefficient in breaking down fats. The result: You are more likely to gain weight and to have a greater difficulty losing it. So the more toxic your body becomes, the more difficulty you’ll have losing weight and keeping it off because your liver just can not work properly to break down fat.

Are artificial sweeteners considered a toxin?
So what qualifies something as a “toxin”? A toxin is anything that your body does not recognize as a natural food source. The reason why artificial sweeteners have “zero” calories is because your body does not recognize them as a food source. For example, the chemical process to make Splenda (sucralose) alters the chemical composition of the sugar so much that it is somehow converted to a completely different molecule than sugar. This type of “fake” sugar molecule does not occur in nature and therefore your body does not possess the ability to properly metabolize it. This is how the makers of Splenda claim that it has zero calories, because in theory it should not be digested or metabolized by the body (Although it has been shown that some people’s body do absorb up to 15% of the artificial sweeteners they ingest). So the more artificial sweeteners that you consume in one day, the more you are overwhelming your liver with toxins and the less able it is to do its job of processing fat. And what happens if the liver can’t do its job? You can’t lose weight or worse yet, you gain weight.

What if you don’t use artificial sweeteners? Don’t be fooled. Almost every diet product on the market has some kind of artificial sweetener added to it. Even some children’s snacks are now being made with sucralose (Splenda) and most flavored waters contain sucralose or aspartame.
Now add up how many things you eat in one day that contain some form of artificial sweetener. The list may be very long. How overwhelmed do you think your liver is? Does it have the ability to work properly? Even if you keep your calories at bay and only drink Diet Coke with your meals, will you truly get down to the weight that you want, and stay there? It has been in my experience that the answer is “no” and until you are ready to commit yourself to a healthy way of eating, weight loss will always be a constant struggle.

What else do sweeteners do?

Sweeteners increase appetite
Artificial sweeteners tell your taste buds that, “sweet stuff has arrived,” which to the brain means, “nutrition has arrived.” When artificial sweetened drink or food reaches the small intestine, the receptors find no nutrition. A message is then sent back to the brain saying, “We’ve been tricked-there’s no nutrition here.” The appestat (the part of your brain that triggers satiety) sends the message to “keep eating because we need nutrition to help process all this fake food and run your body.” So even after you eat a good portioned healthy meal (along with your diet coke) you still feel like your starving all day, or you become very hungry soon after. Your healthy eating efforts may be sabotaged if you continue to feel hungry all day. No one likes to feel hungry so you continue to eat more food until you feel satisfied, which in your effort to lose weight, may just be too much.

Sweeteners Increase our Sweet Tooth
Saccharin (Sweet n Low) is 300 times sweeter than sugar, aspartame (Equal) is 200 times sweeter than sugar and sucralose (splenda) is 600 times sweeter than sugar. Such sweeteners can only increase our sweet tooth and increase our taste of sweet things. If you can never get rid of your sugar cravings, any healthy eating plan will be difficult because you will constantly be craving “sweet”. Artificial sweeteners have also shown to promote the same blood sugar fluctuations as regular sugar, which, again will bring on “sugar lows” which will increase appetite and cravings. This is not to say, that something sweet now and again is not ok, but it is those people who can not control their sugar cravings that are being sabotaged by these artificial sweeteners.

What are some alternatives to sweeteners?
Giving up sugar and artificial sweeteners may be difficult, especially if you are accustomed to everything having such a sweet taste. A wonderful alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners is an herb called Stevia. Stevia is an extraordinarily sweet herb, 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is almost calorie-free, so it is perfect for people who are watching their weight. Unlike sugar, it does not trigger a rise in blood sugar so you will not get a sudden burst of energy followed by fatigue and a need for another “fix”. It increases energy and aids digestion by stimulating the pancreas. Stevia also presents great advantages over saccharine and other artificial sweeteners in that it is not toxic. Stevia is a plant that is found in nature and is not man-made in a laboratory. Stevia can be found at almost all health food stores such as Whole Foods, and is listed under the “supplement” section. Stevia can be used exactly like sugar and artificial sweeteners to sweeten drinks and it can even be used in baking.

If weight loss or staying away from sweets has always been a problem for you, take notice of how much artificial sweetener you have been ingesting. That just may be the culprit. Make a resolution this year to give up the “fake” stuff and stick to natural alternatives like Stevia. You will not only be helping your weight loss efforts but you will also be benefiting your health.
If you or someone you know is addicted to sweet drinks such as sodas or beverages sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners, try this “Tea Juice” and you will see that weaning yourself off sugar or sweeteners will be much easier.

Tea Juice
5-6 bags of any caffeine free herbal tea of your choice (green tea, peach tea, berry tea, orange zinger, lemon, etc.)
3 quarts water
Stevia powder or liquid to taste
Boil tea bags in a large pot. Add 1-2 full teaspoons of stevia while still hot. (You may add more or less, based on your desired sweetness) Let tea cool and then transfer to the refrigerator in Ice Tea pitchers or individual size water bottles.
This drink is a great replacement to Diet Coke or Diet Snapple.

Learn “The Top 5 Essential Truths You Must Know Before You Go on Any Diet Ever Again” from Isabel De Los Rios The Diet Solution. Isabel is a nutrition, exercise and lifestyle coach who has helped hundreds of people lose their unwanted weight and take complete control of their health. She is the author of The Diet Solution Program, a complete and comprehensive nutrition program that is helping people all over the world finally reach their ideal weight. For more information on The Diet Solution Program and how it can help to change your life, CLICK HERE.

The Diet Solution Program Review

Review of The Diet Solution Program: The Program that Promises Fat Loss along with an incredible amount of Health and Vitality.

The Diet Solution Program promises a complete and comprehensive weight loss program that will not only help you lose body fat, but guarantees you increased energy, health and vitality all at the same time.

With so many weight loss programs out on the market and on the internet today, what makes this program any different than all the rest?

Before we get to the program, let's take a look at the expert behind this program. Isabel De Los Rios is a nutrition and exercise specialist with 10 years of experience helping clients reach their ideal weight and tackle conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Isabel has a very extensive educational background in nutrition and exercise physiology. Her personal experience with her own weight struggles and her mother’s severe diabetes led her search for the BEST nutrition information available today. The Diet Solution Program is a result of her 15 year study and research.

I've also talked to Isabel about her training and education background, and I'll be honest, it was impressive, unlike other so-called “health experts”, who are just following main stream nutrition programs. Isabel provides her readers with the truth: the facts most people have never taken the time to research, read and decipher.

Plus, Isabel has been a nutrition and exercise specialist for the past 10 years and has personally worked with hundreds of clients in her own private facility, overseeing successful weight loss programs. This hands on experience with real people solidified the facts and principles she had learned in books, journals and from other health professionals. The proof was really in the results of real people.

In fact, Isabel's articles are pretty radical when it comes to her nutrition principles which is why her approach works when main-stream nutrition fails. So if you are looking for the same old nutrition theories taught in every other book and program on the market today, this is not the program for you.

Now one of the biggest questions about the program is simply, "What is The Diet Solution Program?" Well according to Isabel, it is the most comprehensive and detailed nutrition manual available on the market today. Not only does it teach you exactly what principles you need to follow to finally reach your ideal weight, it gives you the meal plans, shopping lists and recipes to do so. It does not push some extreme, unreasonable way to lose weight. It actually teaches you how you can make this healthy way of eating into a lifestyle. And if you have ever attempted to lose weight in the past, you know that the only way to maintain it is to make it a way of life. The best part about Isabel’s program is that this new way of life is not some torturous eating regimen. She really shows you that you can eat delicious food, combined the right way, to lose weight and maintain it.

One of the best side effects of the whole program is the increased health and vitality that every participant experiences. Decreases in blood sugar levels, lowered cholesterol, increased energy, elimination of digestive discomfort and cleared skin conditions are just some of the few benefits other people have already experienced.

Frankly, I've used the program myself and recommended to many others. Why? Because I was sick and tired of following nutrition plans that either did not work or made me lose weight but feel terrible. Yes, I want to be at my ideal weight but I also want to maintain a healthy body at the same time and not have to resort to extreme, radical methods. The Diet Solution Program helped me lose weight and feel healthy and energized at the same time.

Now realize that some effort from you will be required, but Isabel has really done all the hard work for you. Included in her program is:

• Step by step action steps telling you exactly how to put the principles in place
  
• Detailed daily meal plans that make everyday eating easy
  
• Shopping Lists to make food shopping a snap
  
• Delicious Recipes to make everyday meals tasty

The manual is comprehensive. Jam packed with incredible and valuable information. But you don’t need to wait to get through the whole thing before you can start. You can use Isabel’s Quick Start Guide to start the program ASAP. Some people have even just used the quick start guide and lost 10-15lbs in a little as 6 weeks.

The Diet Solution Program is not just another weight loss scheme or extreme diet. It is truly the only way to lose weight and enjoy a lifetime of health. The Diet Solution Program is perfect for people who have struggled with their weight their whole life and are sick and tired of programs that just don’t work long term. The DSP is also perfect for people who want to take control of their health and reverse health conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease.

If you're in the slightest bit curious, I recommend you look closely at Isabel's program. I was very impressed with all of The Diet Solution Program meal plans, the bonuses, the guarantee, and Isabel's expertise. For the money, it's the best deal in the weight loss industry - so much better than diet pills! And remember...

Isabel De Los Rios’s The Diet Solution Program is backed by a 90 day money back guarantee. And this is a real guarantee... if you are not completely satisfied, you will receive your money back, no "ifs," "ands," or "buts." So you really have nothing to lose.

Click Here to find out more

Can You Finially Reach Your Goals?

As you may or may not know I am a raving fan of Dax Moy. I have tried his Elimination Diet and now use it with clients to achieve exceptional results.

So a few weeks ago I decided to check out his Magic Hundred program. It is all about setting and acheiving goals in a short period of time. Really applying yourself to what you want and getting it. It actually MAKES you dream again, like many of us have forgotten how to do.

We just go day in and day out same ol thing, different day. But what would you say if someone told you, you could be on your way to (insert day dream here....lol) within the next 100 days?

I read through the program got excited about starting it, wrote down some hopes and dreams and went to bed...got up fed my family, went to work, came home, fed my family, blogged, went to bed and so on as my life goes. Well Monday I had been thinking of really getting into The Magic Hundred. Monday passes and Tuesday morning is getting away from me and but I did manage to print off about 30 of the daily goal sheets to get this going for real this time! No more letting life rule me! I'm gonna do this I thought.....

So I have my sheets printed, I go to a.m. bootcamp, come back and here is a message from Dax like I just bought the program all over again. Seriously just like the time I bought it a couple weeks ago. Since then I have been receiving daily emails from him so I knew it wasn't just a reminder for me to download my program or anything.

I dont know how to explain this but that this was a sure sign that I needed to be getting my rear in gear and REALLY do this! Kinda crazy isn't it??? Well I dont care what ya call it, I started gathering info for my goals. I will let you in on them shortly...another post.

You should check it out, it's really cool! If you liked the Secret you will LOVE this! Click Here!

We had a Blast!!!

Us Last Oct in Vegas!

I am SO EXCITED to take some down time!



This weekend starts today for me. My Best Friend comes to town today and we will get to sit around and chat till the wee hours of the morning, soak up the sun together, share a bottle of wine and just have some good girl FUN! We haven't seen eachother since last Oct., that was in Vegas....Yep THAT was fun too!

If it's been a while since you have taken some time for yourself, make a plan to do this. You will refuel your mind, heart and soul by just taking some time out and having a little fun.
You will come back to work, family, and whatever else you have on your "To Do" list ready to tackle it with a smile.
I will post some pix of Angie and I on Sunday or Monday.

5 New Ab Workouts

You'll never have to do another useless crunch on a stinky, sweaty
dirty gym mat or hotel room floor EVER again!

...because Men's Health expert, Craig Ballantyne, has just
released his new CRUNCH-FREE Home Abdominal Workout program.

But hurry, only the first 100 copies come with his extra special
gift for you worth $59.85...

And you'll get his new program that features 5 new TT for Abs
workout programs including...

1) The 4-Week Beginner Introduction to CRUNCH-FREE Ab Workout

2) The 4-Week Intermediate Level ANTI-CRUNCH Ab Workout

3) And THREE Advanced 4-Week Home Abdominal Workouts

PLUS, you'll get...

4) The "TT Abs 300" Workout Challenges (including one for beginners,
intermediate, and advanced fitness levels)

5) The Bodyweight Abs program that you can do anytime, anywhere,
without a single piece of equipment. (This program comes with
beginner and advanced versions too!)

All that, AND STILL MORE...

The TT for Abs Home Abdominal Workouts also comes with...

a) The Advanced Ab Nutrition Meal Plans for Men & Women

b) The 5 Motivational Secrets to STOP Cheating on Your Diet and
Never Skip Another Workout Again

PLUS, the first 100 men and women to grab their copy gets a 3-month
TT Basic Level Membership to the TT forums and workout of the month
club.

AND FINALLY, he's added THREE more 4-week programs to sweeten the
deal and keep you burning fat for another 2-3 months. When you grab
your copy before Wednesday, July 23rd at midnight, you'll get:

1) The NEW "Hot Zone TT Fat Loss Workout"...

...showing you how 4 simple exercises hit all the fat burning hot
zones of the body and help you boost metabolism and burn more
belly fat.

2) "Bikini Ready Abs"...

...from America's #1 Fat Loss expert for Mom's, Holly Rigsby, giving
you another "IN-HOME" fat burning abdominal workout you can do with
minimal equipment.

3) The Big 5 Fat Burning TT Circuit Workout...

...revealing one of the most popular and innovative fat burning
workouts Craig has ever put together. If you love burning fat with
circuits, you'll love this simple 5 exercise solution to getting rid
of stubborn belly fat.

WHEW!

That's an incredible offer, but its only here for 3 days...

...So That You Can Burn Belly Fat and Work Your Abs in the Comfort
of Your Own Home...

As you can see by HIS PHOTO on his new site, he knows how to get abs
without doing crunches or long, slow boring cardio. And he'll show
you all NEW workouts to help you do the same.

Check out Craig's abs and get his new program HERE: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/cbae/?a=rrrXB&p=13




But remember...

1) Only the first 100 copies get the extra bonus worth $59.85

2) The "Biking Ready Abs", "Hot Zone Fat Loss", and "Big 5 Circuit
Workout" are only available as FREE GIFTS for the next 3 days. They
are gone after Wednesday, to be put back in Craig's workout vault
for Platinum TT members only.

WHY IS HE DOING THIS?

Because he knows you can't wait any longer to get working on your
abs...summer is here and passing us by - and so are your chances to
impress everyone with a new body on the beach, at concerts, or in
backyard BBQ's.

Check out TT for Abs for all of the details on this Limited-Time
Special Offer: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/cbae/?a=rrrXB&p=13



So save time and money by grabbing your copy today. But hurry, this
Special Offer expires and VANISHES - Poof, just like your belly fat
will - at midnight on July 23rd.

Get started with the all NEW Turbulence Training for Abs Home
Abdominal Workouts here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/cbae/?a=rrrXB&p=13


Helping you look great this summer,

ISSA~ Certified Personal Fitness Trainer ~ Carmel Wieland
http://www.BetterBodiesbyCarmel.com

P.S. The bonuses are gone after July 23rd. In fact, only the first
100 copies get the 3-Month TT Membership bonus. So don't wait, those
will be gone before noon on Monday!

Visit Craig's site to see his abs & get this limited time offer: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/cbae/?a=rrrXB&p=13

Ab Workouts Slow Fat Loss

Ab Workouts Slow Fat Loss
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

http://www.turbulencetraining.com/cbae/?a=rrrXB&p=13







Not only are most traditional ab workouts a waste of time, but they also slow your fat loss efforts. Each workout you spend crunching takes time away from more effective fat loss methods - such as interval training.

That's right, the common man's (and woman's) ab workout taken from Shape magazine or Muscle'n'Fitness often hurts their fat loss program more than it helps it.


Remember - I'm in the business of getting you the most fat loss in the least amount of exercise time...so I have little room in myprogram for traditional ab crunches (with the exception of usingbasic ab exercises for beginners who need to learn to use their ab muscles after a lifetime of inactivity).




Instead, I focus on exercises that build a 6-pack AND burn a lot of calories at the same time. That's why I'm a big fan of making EVERY exercise an ab exercise (by bracing the abs in every movement), as well as using total body ab exercises (such as Mountain Climbers, the Spiderman Lunge/Climb, and the Stability Ball Jackknife).




These exercises use far more muscle mass than a traditional crunch. In fact, some of the total body ab exercises are "interval-like" in nature, helping to put more metabolic turbulence on the body, and as you know, that's what burns calories during AND after the workout.




Now of course you know that you can't spot reduce the fat on your body - so doing an endless number of crunches not only does little for you in terms of losing fat, it also wastes your time in your quest for a 6-pack.




Here are a couple of strategies to maximize your workout time when your goal is to get lean, and get down to a low-enough body fat percentage to see your abs in as little workout time as possible:




(If you've got 2 hours a day to workout, by all means, do whatever your heart desires...but I don't think many of us that live in the real world have that kind of time.)


A) First, simply cut back on your ab training - If your goal is tosimply lose fat, gain a little muscle, and just look as goodpossible, then you can't spend 30 minutes on abs everyday. You can build your 6-pack by doing less than 30 minutes of ab exercise per week.


I'm convinced that no one (not even a fitness model or probodybuilder) needs more than 30 minutes of ab training per week.


In fact, at the photoshoots I supervise for the fitness magazines,I get to talk to a lot of fitness models and what they tell meabout their training routines might shock you. Most of them don't train nearly as frequently as you or I might think.


Instead, they've worked hard over the years with the basic lifts to build their body, and now many of them simply use nutrition and maintenance workouts to keep their abs showing.


B) Second, replace your crunches with the total body ab exercises I mentioned earlier. Also, if you have access to a cable machine, you can do weighted ab exercises such as kneeling cable crunches.


C) And finally, if you are doing intervals for fat loss as Irecommend, you can use the following approach to increase thedifficulty of your ab and interval training. However, this is anadvanced method only. Beginners should stick to the TT guidelines in their manual.


During your interval workout, perform an ab exercise during your active recovery period. For example, if you are doing running intervals on a treadmill...


Run for 60 seconds at your work interval speed. Immediately stop the treadmill, get off, and go into a set of 20 Mountain Climbers. Climb back on the treadmill and start it up for your next interval. Repeat for 3-6 intervals.


You can also use basic spinal stabilization "ab exercises" such asthe plank, side plank, or advanced plank versions (i.e. plank with your arms on the ball) to train your spinal stabilization while under heavy breathing stress. I learned this technique from Dr. Stuart McGill.


Remember: Always train safe, with good form, and be conservative. Don't try to be a hero in the gym, but you should safely challenge yourself in each workout.


Stick to the Turbulence Training Guidelines if you don't know where to start.


Sincerely,


Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Author, Turbulence Training


About the Author



Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit

http://www.turbulencetraining.com/cbae/?a=rrrXB&p=13

How do you get rid of the flabby thighs??

You ever wonder this? Well people ask me this all of the time! I will let you in on a little secret, you know those thigh machines? Well in my opinion they SUCK! They dont burn fat off your thighs. If you really want to get rid of those thunder thighs you have to use compound exercises! Try these on for size....

• 
  
  Sumo squats with dumbbells or smith machine 15x3


• 
  
  Stability ball leg curls 15x3


• 
  
  Romainian deadlifts with dumbbells or barbell 15x3


• 
  
  Side lunges with medicine ball swing 15 each side x3


• 
  
  Walking lunges with a twist using a medicine ball 15 each side x3

With these exercises you will be working your whole body! Tone your arms and abs while melting fat off of your thighs and butt too!

Are you eating HIDDEN sugar???

As you may all be aware that eating sugar when you are trying to lose weight is a serious no no, do you know all the names of sugar? You are reading the labels making sure there is no added sugar....but is there?

Sugar has many different names here is a list of them for a reference.



barley malt
beet sugar
brown sugar
buttered syrup
cane-juice crystals
cane sugar
caramel
carob syrup
corn syrup
corn syrup solids
date sugar
dextran
dextrose
diatase
diastatic malt
ethyl maltol
fructose
fruit juice
fruit juice concentrate
glucose
glucose solids
golden sugar
golden syrup
grape sugar
high-fructose corn syrup
honey
invert sugar
lactose
malt syrup
maltodextrin
maltose
mannitol
molasses
raw sugar
refiner's syrup
sorbitol
sorghum syrup
sucrose
sugar
turbinado sugar

Dont be fooled by artificial sweeteners either, those are just as bad and maybe even worse as research reveals the side effects and health risks.

Did you know your diet soda could be making you fat? Yep, research has shown that artificial sweeteners triggers the same response in our bodies as real sugar and makes us crave more! Your best bet is to get your sweets from your natural fruit. In its natural grown from the ground form.

How Important is Your Circle of Support?

What do you think? We have always heard it is important to have support when you are trying to quit smoking, drinking or lose weight. So what happens when you have negative people around you when you are trying to get healthy and make yourself better all around? I never realized how important this was until the other day when I was talking to a friend who was having trouble in a friendship of hers. This person was being so negative about anything she was doing that was good for her. Ever had that happen to you? Well I have, I'm sure most of us have. After we talked for about an hour about other stuff she brought up how frustrated and hurt she was by this other friend again.

The people we talk to and hang out with really do effect us, good or bad. So why not hang with friends who make us feel good about ourselves and the things we are doing to make ourselves better?

Surround yourself with those who think you are wonderful and love you. Those who tell you how great you are doing and who may have the same type of dreams and goals as you do. You will find life much more enjoyable and your goals much easier to reach!

I leave you with this thought from Dick - Applying the Law of Attraction

"Surround yourself with positive people - Negative people can quickly lead to negative thoughts. Make sure your group of friends are those that love and admire you for the great person you are.Eliminate any time spent with anyone who brings you down. You can't afford the hit to your subconscious mind simply to maintain a negative friendship."

Dick, Applying the Law of Attraction