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It's my birthday month, and I hope you get me THIS gift
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Ingrid M. Hughes,
Independent Team Beachbody Coach
Website: ingridinpa.com
Blog: IngridInPa.com/blog
Free Fitness Consultation: www.ingridinpa.com/free-consultation
Facebook: Ingrid Hughes Fitness
Instagram: @IngridInPa
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Losing weight doesn't have to be complicated with the Annual Beachbody On Demand & Shakeology Challenge Pack!
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IN THIS ISSUE:
- 3 Signs Your Program is Working
- 7 Secrets to Sticking with Exercise
- Now on BOD: Day 21 of 21 Day Fix EXTREME Real-Time
- 2B Mindset News: New Meal Plan + Recipes and $20 Savings
- New: Plant-Based Chocolate Recover
- Summer Strong Sale: $20 Off Most Popular Challenge Packs
- Recipe: Frozen Yogurt Bark with Berries
- Recipe: Strawberry Mojito Shakeology
- Want the Scoop on Coaching? Just Ask!
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Mark Your Calendars for the Central Pa Super Weekend Open House July 27, 2019!
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Please join me for this special #successtogether weekend and learn what being a coach is all about! Saturday, July 27, 2019, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg in Camp Hill, PA. Click here to register or to learn more!
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 Sore, Hungry, or Slow? 3 Signs Your Program is Working
Exercise makes us feel great. It makes us less hungry. It helps us perform everyday tasks better. Besides our health and the way we look, feeling great, being less hungry, and performing better are exactly the reasons we put ourselves through exercise. However, en route to ultimate fitness, there are some hurdles we all need to clear. Mainly, they include being faced with the opposite of our intended goals. Enter the trilogy of grumpiness: getting sore, slow, and hungry. We tend to look at these as negatives, but you want these feelings because they’re clear signs your program is working.
Getting Sore
Soreness is the easiest of the signs your program is working to understand. Most of us have been sore at some point. It happens anytime we do something physical that we’re unaccustomed to. From yard work to a pickup game to a marathon shopping spree, when you push your body beyond what you do in your normal day-to-day activity, you get sore.
Most soreness comes from the breakdown of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Our bodies have both slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers. Slow-twitch fibers have a low recruitment factor, which simply means they get fired up at low outputs. Fast-twitch fibers have a high recruitment factor, meaning it takes something more intense to get them going.
A simple example would be raising your fork to your mouth, which requires slow-twitch fibers, compared to raising a heavy barbell over your head, which requires fast-twitch fibers. Furthermore, we all have some extra fast-twitch fiber for emergencies. When you run from a bear, you’re engaging these, which is why you’re likely to run faster than you ever have before.
Fast-twitch fibers are repaired much more slowly than slow-twitch fibers. You can pretty much keep shoving food into your mouth and never get tired. When you do get tired, you’ll be able to resume the activity quickly. Lifting a barbell over your head will wear you out, and it will take some time before your body is able to do it again. The more weight you add, the quicker you’ll get tired and the longer it will take before your body is ready to do it again. And once you’ve escaped the bear, you’d do well to avoid him for a couple of weeks. Those emergency fibers you’ve thrashed will take that long to recover.
Hypertrophy in New Training Programs
Hypertrophy means muscle growth. Almost all training programs target this, even weight loss programs, because changing a body from rotund to svelte requires you to lose body fat. And the quickest way to lose body fat is to gain more muscle. Muscle requires more work from your body, even at rest, so your body will take the nutrients from the foods you eat and store them in muscle tissue rather than adipose (or fat) tissue.
To create hypertrophy, you need to overload your muscle fibers progressively to keep breaking them down. As you get fitter, you engage higher-threshold muscle cell motor units to keep the overload coming. Breaking down exactly the number of muscle cells your body can replenish right away is nearly impossible. This means that to advance your level of fitness, you are going to break down more muscle fibers than you intended. When this happens, you get sore.
Furthermore, the more varied the exercise you do, the more you’ll find areas where your body is out of balance. This means some muscles are stronger than others. When you do new exercises, your stronger muscles are forced to do extra work as the weaker ones catch up. This results in both the strong and weak muscles being overworked while they sort out the balance problem.
Getting Hungry
“I heard I would get less hungry and all I can think about is eating” is a common sentiment expressed by people who start a fitness routine. The reason is somewhat obvious—many entry-level programs have low-calorie diets, not to mention restricted diets. Most of these people are simply craving the junk foods they have cut out.
But fit people get hungry too, and they’re usually eating enough calories. This is because your body cries out for nutrients when it’s in breakdown mode, even when you’ve eaten all you can. Learning that this craving is one of the normal signs your program is working will greatly help your success curve.
When your body is craving nutrients, you want to feed it. However, under the type of duress a hard program creates, you can’t possibly give it enough nutrients. Many of us try. We eat and eat. And while eating can help ease the mental anguish your body is going through, you can’t put all of these calories to use, and some will get stored in fat tissue.
Adding Supplements to Your Diet
When your body is hungry, supplements are your best friend. Most have very few calories and a lot of nutrients. Some have targeted nutrients, which basically means they’re designed for nutrient efficiency. But no matter how well we strategize, we’re all going to get hungry at some point in our programs. So much so that staying hungry is a metaphor for the bodybuilding lifestyle. In the film Stay Hungry, a bodybuilding champion (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) sums this up with the line, “I don’t want to get too comfortable. I’d rather stay hungry.”
A note from Beachbody Senior Director of Nutrition Content Denis Faye: “If you’re hungry even though you’ve eaten all your calories and you’re trying to lose weight, your first course of action is to fight it. Hunger doesn’t necessarily mean you need food. It just means you’re used to food. However, if you’re going completely nuts, then you want filling foods with few or no calories. Herbal tea is good, so is broth or veggies, as long as they’re fresh and raw. If you must eat something more substantial, I’d opt for a straight protein, like chicken or egg whites. It’s not going to impact your blood sugar as hard, and it’s not all that yummy, so you know you’re not just comfort eating.”
Getting Slow
This is the hardest condition to conceptualize but the easiest to explain. During hypertrophy, your muscles are growing. Growing muscles are a bit like a growing person. Just as you learn how to grow into a developing body, you need to learn how to use new muscles. During the hypertrophy stage of your exercise program, your muscles are “big and dumb,” like the old-school concept of the “musclehead.”
Larger muscles have a greater capacity for strength than smaller ones. A large muscle isn’t necessarily stronger, but if trained properly, it will become stronger. Muscular efficiency (or absolute strength) is what gets targeted in the latter stages of a training program. Doing low repetitions, along with eccentric and plyometric movements, is all about teaching your muscles efficiency — essentially, the ability to recruit high-threshold muscle cell motor units.
While your muscles are growing, your ability to move quickly lessens. This is why athletes do all of their body-altering training in the off-season. When you start to feel slow, it’s a sign that your program is working. Just remember that you’ll want to increase your intensity and whip those big lugs into shape later on.
These Signs are Temporary
Remember these are stages, not chronic conditions. You should only experience them early in a program or new cycle of training. If you aren’t experiencing them at all, it means you’re ready to ramp your training up to the next level, but if they persist beyond four weeks, you’re overdoing it and risk overtraining. You may also experience them each time you transition to a new phase. In this case, though, they should be gone before you move into the next phase of your fitness journey.
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 7 Secrets to Sticking with Exercise
Staying fit is a super power, wellness-wise. Exercise can improve your energy levels, sleep quality, body composition, and overall health. While these perks are great, hectic lives can make sticking with exercise tricky. Simple shifts in your behaviors can help minimize these barriers, making reaching and maintaining your fitness goals almost as easy as pushing play.
Set reasonable goals
Start with activities that seem attainable and reasonably challenging, then set a goal to engage in that activity at least a few times per week. Most wellness perks, according to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, kick in if you do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderately-intense exercise per week. That’s just over 21 minutes a day.
Schedule it
Prioritize workouts in your calendar like anything else. Schedule routine sessions at times that make the most sense within your lifestyle. Many people find it’s easier to stick to an exercise routine in the morning while others find they have more energy in the afternoons. But neither is ideal if the time isn’t convenient for you. Experiment with various options until you find one that works.
Get the gear
Ideally, your workouts won’t require a lot of equipment. Regardless, stock up on whatever you need to get started and choose quality gear, especially when it comes to particularly important items, such as athletic shoes. Wearing colors and textures you enjoy may also help keep you motivated to suit up and head out.
Plan ahead
Prepare your gear ahead of time to prevent skipping workouts. If you schedule your workouts for the morning, set your fitness attire out the night before. If you plan to exercise on your way home from work, pack a workout bag in advance and bring it with you.
Buddy up
Most everything is more fun with friends. Use the buddy system for increased workout accountability and enjoyment. If showing up or making time to exercise is your biggest challenge, having someone to be accountable to could be all you need. As a Beachbody coach, I've seen people's biggest successes come when they are engaged with others through my challenge and accountability groups. Message me if you want to join us!
Sleep and rest well
Quality sleep makes for effective exercise, and helps ensure that you have the mental gusto to show up. Cultivate a healthy sleep schedule, and stick to routine sleep and waking times as often as you can.
Cut yourself some slack
Aiming for perfection can work against you. If you miss a workout, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, consider it a rest day and get back on it the next day. If you find yourself unable to stick to your goals, reassess. It’s better to work out at a lower intensity or for less time for a while than not at all. If you’re still struggling, seek guidance from a qualified sports trainer or contact me. Doing so doesn’t show weakness, but strength.
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Day 21 of 21 Day Fix EXTREME Real-Time is in the books! If you didn't get a chance to try 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix EXTREME Real-Time yet, both workouts are now available in the Beachbody On Demand Member Library, and the Challenge Packs are $20 off this month!
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 2B Mindset: New Meal Plan! New Recipes! On Sale This Month!
There's some BIG 2B Mindset news! During the month of June, you can save $20 on all 2B Mindset Challenge Packs! PLUS, when purchase the 2B Mindset, you’ll get instant access to a brand-new 30-day meal plan AND 16 new 2B Mindset recipes! These were developed to help make it even easier for you to live your life and lose weight with the program.⠀⠀
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If you or someone you know has been on the fence about the 2B Mindset, NOW is the perfect time to get started.
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 Now Available: Plant-Based Chocolate Recover
Good news — Beachbody Performance Plant-Based Chocolate Recover is now available in the U.S. and Canada!
Plant-Based Chocolate Recover is the FIRST vegan post-workout formula from Beachbody Performance that delivers 20 grams of pea protein, 9 essential amino acids, pomegranate extract, and BCAAs.
When you're too sore from your workouts, it's that much harder to stick with your program consistently. But when you reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness and improve muscle strength recovery, you can come back from your workout faster—and you can hit the next one that much harder.
Faster recovery helps you get back to working out, and that's why you must take in the proper nutrients after every workout. The 20g of pea protein and phytonutrients in Plant-Based Recover help you take advantage of that critical post-workout opportunity to help reduce muscle breakdown, support muscle protein synthesis, fight exercise-induced muscle soreness, and jump-start your body's natural rebuilding process so you can come back stronger tomorrow. And our plant-based formula is perfect for vegans!*
 We also now offer Chocolate Recover (whey) in 18 single-serving packets! Available here.
Beachbody Performance Recover is more than just your average tub of protein powder! Right after you work out, your muscles go into serious rebuilding mode. By consuming protein within 30 minutes of working out, you help give your body the building blocks it needs to do this effectively.
Recover is a chocolatey post-workout drink that does this with a proprietary blend of fast-absorbing whey protein (non-vegan version), medium-absorbing pea protein, and slow-absorbing casein protein to ensure you have protein on hand for the entire process.
We teamed up with sports nutrition experts at the University of Exeter in England to test the effects of drinking Recover on post-exercise muscle soreness and muscle function.
The Goal
This study measured the effects of Beachbody Performance Recover on muscle soreness and recovery of muscle strength and function following intense muscle-damaging exercise in 18 adults using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design.
Study participants were randomly assigned to consume either Recover or a taste and calorie-matched placebo for 14 days. On the 7th day, participants completed an intense workout designed to induce muscle soreness and temporarily reduce muscle strength and function. During the next seven days of recovery, participants continued to consume Recover or placebo, and muscle soreness, muscle strength, and muscle function were assessed daily. To minimize potential interference from food and beverage consumption, participants in both groups were provided with the same standardized diet throughout the entirety of their participation in the study.
The Results*
As expected, following intense exercise, muscle soreness increased and muscle strength and function decreased. In the participants given Recover, post-exercise muscle soreness was reduced by about 50% compared to placebo, and muscle strength and function recovered two times faster compared to those given the placebo. (Muscle function recovered in 3 days in participants using Recover, versus 6 days in participants using the placebo).*
Why This Matters
Studies show that muscle strength and function can be significantly reduced for several days after intense exercise. That means that even if muscle soreness doesn’t delay or prevent you from returning to your workout routine, you might not be getting the most out of your next workout. Findings from this study show that using Recover can help significantly reduce post-exercise muscle soreness and speed muscle recovery to help keep your fitness goals on track.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. |
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Get Beachbody's best value on Challenge Packs with the June Summer Strong Sale! All month long, we’re offering $20/£20 off all Challenge and Completion Packs priced at $150 or more. Not sure which challenge pack is right for you? Message me!
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 Frozen Yogurt Bark with Berries
Frozen yogurt studded with gorgeous blue and red berries! A delicious, fun, and healthy dessert!
- 2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup agave (honey or maple syrup are also OK to use)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- pinch salt
- strawberries, sliced
- blueberries
- raspberries
- chopped pecans, for garnish, optional
Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine yogurt, agave, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt; whisk until thoroughly combined.
Transfer yogurt mixture to previously prepared baking sheet and spread it around to an even thickness. Top with berries and garnish with nuts (optional)
Freeze for 2 to 3 hours, or until firm. Cut into pieces and serve. Keep in the freezer. Source: diethood.com
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 Strawberry Mojito Shakeology
If you are partial to the occasional minty, refreshing mojito, you are not alone. While you probably shouldn’t make a mojito your morning pick-me-up, this dreamy Strawberry Mojito Shakeology is a yummy alternative.
Bubbly sparkling water, fresh lime juice, and lots of mint make this Shakeology recipe taste just like strawberry mojito cocktail. Creamy Strawberry Shakeology provides your daily dose of dense superfood nutrition and the energy you’ll need to power through your morning.
• 1 cup sparkling water, divided use
• 1 tsp. finely grated lime peel
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 scoop Strawberry Shakeology
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup ice
• mint sprig (for garnish; optional)
• Strawberry slice (for garnish; optional)
Place ½ cup water, lime peel, lime juice, Shakeology, mint, and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.
Add remaining ½ cup water; mix well. Garnish with mint and strawberry slice if desired.
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 Want the Scoop on Beachbody Coaching? Just Ask!
Whether you're thinking about coaching for the discount, trips, meeting and working out with the trainers, a financial opportunity, or are just curious, Contact me and let's talk!
** Team Beachbody® does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill.
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