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One of the biggest reasons people quit working out is they lose their motivation. Motivation can be tough to hang on to, especially if you’re not seeing all the changes you expected to see right away. It can be really discouraging, say, to see no movement on the scale, after working out day after day.

 

But that’s normal! No one stays motivated all the time. Everyone needs a motivation bump from time to time. It’s true! So here are some ways you can bump up your motivation, keep it going strong and reach your goals!

 

1. Throw out the scale! If no movement on the scale makes you lose your motivation to work out, ditch the scale! Even if your goal is to lose a certain amount of weight, you don’t do yourself any favors by constantly watching the scale. Not only that, but whether your goal is to lose weight or inches, your real goal is to be fit, healthy and strong. And there’s so much that goes into being fit, healthy and strong that your scale can’t tell you! Trust in the process, and don’t let the scale throw you off course. You’ll get there, before you know it!

 

2. Have fun! Are you having fun with your workouts? If your program works, but you don’t like it, you’re less likely to do it. Find something you really enjoy doing. And don’t be afraid to change things up! We get bored, doing the same workout over and over and over. Don’t let yourself get bored! Take a new class, or try a new online workout. 

 

3. Celebrate progress! No matter what kind or how small. Did you make it through the whole workout today, when you couldn’t do it last week? Awesome! Celebrate that victory! Or maybe you have some clothes that fit a little better today. Or better still, maybe you feel good today, full of energy. That’s all progress!

 

4. Keep your goal in front of you! Post a picture, or write down your reason for working out, and tape it to your mirror, or better still, your refrigerator! Keep your reason, or your goal, literally in front of your face. You will be constantly reminded of why you started working out in the first place!

 

5. Get support! Get a workout buddy, an accountability partner, or join one of my Challenge Groups! It doesn’t matter if it’s in person or online, it helps so much to have encouragement from other people. Turn to your support people when you are feeling unmotivated—they’ll cheer you on so that you can get up again! Accountability is a huge factor in success!

 

For more tips, please catch up with me on Facebook here: Melissa McAllister 

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You all know that good health starts with good nutrition, right? The best exercise plan in the world isn’t really going to give you the results you want unless your body is getting the nutrition it needs. 

 

Here’s what your body needs: At least three servings of vegetables a day (more is better). Fruits. Superfoods like blue-green algae, chia seed and wheat grass. A full spectrum of vitamins. Prebiotics and enzymes, which help maintain good digestion. And don’t forget the high-quality protein!

 

You got all that? 

 

That’s a lot of stuff to keep track of. It’s got to be expensive to buy all of that. And to be honest, it doesn’t sound very appealing. I bet you’d rather just drink a nice, chocolate shake. Or a vanilla shake. Or cafe latte, or tropical berry, or…that's right, I'm talking about Shakeology! Shakeology combines all of that, and much more, into a delicious shake. Here is why I drink it every day, and why you should too:

 

1. Nutrition! I’ve already told you the very best reason to drink Shakeology. It’s hard to get all of the high-quality nutrition your body needs every day. Shakeology makes it easy. One shake is packed with superfoods, vitamins, prebiotics, enzymes, super greens and whey protein. Whew! All that, in one shake. And it’s absolutely delicious. You have never seen an easier and more delicious way to get in all your nutrients!

 

2. Energy! These ingredients work together to energize your body. Who needs coffee? Shakeology gives you the energy you need to get your day going, and to power through your workouts. This is also a more sustained energy than you’re going to get from coffee. The ingredients in Shakeology work to keep your blood sugar level on an even keel, so you won’t end up in a slump.

 

3. Lose weight!  Another benefit of the ingredients in Shakeology is that they keep you from craving things that are bad for you. And if you do find yourself wanting a treat you can have an absolutely delicious shake or other Shakeology treat that nourishes your body and doesn’t sabotage your healthy eating habits. You won’t feel like you’re depriving yourself of anything, and that makes it easier to stick to your plan. 

 

4. Save time and money! Like I said above, buying all those ingredients separately costs a lot. And then it takes time to eat or take each of those things separately. The best way to maintain good nutrition is to make it easy. Remember, I always tell you to plan ahead to have easy, healthy snacks to grab, to make it easy to stick to good nutrition and not run for the junk food. Shakeology is the easiest way to get great nutrition, every day. And when you add up the amount you’d spend buying each of the ingredients separately, Shakeology is a deal!

 

5. It’s delicious! Really. If you’ve never tried it, let me know. You won’t believe how good a healthy drink can taste!

 

Why do you love Shakeology? Let me know! And if you’ve never tried it, let me know that too.

For nutrtion and fitness tips, please catch up with me on Facebook here: Melissa McAllister

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One of the biggest excuses I hear for not working out is time. It takes too much time to drive to the gym, work out, shower, change, and then drive back home or to work!

 

I agree, that takes a lot of time! It really is time well spent, but you’re right, it’s hard to get that kind of workout time into your day. But exercise is so important! But … time!

 

What if I told you that you don’t have to spend that kind of time to work out?

 

That’s my favorite thing about working out at home. I save time! I don’t have to deal with all that travel and transition time. I’m already at my gym! And I’m already back home from your gym!

 

And that’s just one of the benefits of working out from home. Here are four more:

 

1. You can wear whatever you want! No more agonizing about what to wear to the gym. Wear whatever you want! Workout in your pajamas if you want to! No one will know! And that leads me to the next one:

 

2. You won’t feel self-conscious! Sometimes people feel a little embarrassed to work out at a gym, maybe because they’re overweight, or they’re not confident using the equipment. At home, you don’t have to worry about any of that! 

 

3. Flexibility! At home, you can work out any time of the day, and as long and short as you want. You can even break up your workout routine into chunks. You’ll also probably be more relaxed about your workouts, because you won’t be worrying about making sure you are squeezing in all of your workout to your allotted gym time. 

 

4. Variety! When you work at home the sky is the limit. You don’t even have to invest in fancy weight machines. You can do any kind of cardio, dance, body weight, or dumbbell exercises. You can make up your own routines, or you can pop in a DVD, or stream any kind of workout from YouTube or Beachbody on Demand. 

 

In fact, if you go to Beachbody on Demand, you can filter the workouts to find just what you’re looking for: short workouts, long workouts, specific types, specific trainers—whatever you need, and you can change it up any time to keep things interesting.

 

In fact, the flexibility, variety and time-savings of working out at home can keep you more motivated to keep up with your fitness routine. So don’t let the idea of spending all that time at a gym hold you back!  

For more tips, please catch up with me on Facebook here: Melissa McAllister

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Get fit in the gym but lose weight in the kitchen

 

Swimsuit season is around the corner! Let’s hit the gym to lose weight so we’ll look great, right?

 

Not so fast! Of course I want you to hit the gym. Working out is how we get fit and healthy, and it makes us feel great. But if you want to lose weight, that’s much more about what you eat than how much your work out. 

 

I know, that’s probably not what you want to hear! But it’s the truth. Weight loss starts in the kitchen. The key is to give your body the nutrition and energy it needs, while not giving it things it doesn’t need. This means eating:

 

  • Plenty of vegetables and occasional fruit.
  • Plenty of good quality protein.
  • Carbs—yes, carbs! You do need some! Focus on quality! Choose a sweet potato over pasta, for example.
  • Healthy fats—yes, fat! The right kind of fat, that is—think coconut oil, or avocado. 
  • Shakeology, of course! Shakeology is packed full of superfoods. It’s your jump start to good nutrition.

 

And not eating:

  • Sugar.
  • Refined, processed foods.
  • Unhealthy fats.
  • Junk foods (which are usually full of sugar, unhealthy fats and refined, processed stuff).

 

The easiest way to eat the right way to lose weight is to set your kitchen up for success. Get rid of all the sugary, processed foods. Just get rid of it! You don’t want it around to tempt you! Keep your pantry stocked with fresh vegetables and fruit and foods that will really nourish your body. Take some time out of your weekend to prep your food for the week—that way you will always have something good on hand, and you won’t be so tempted to order pizza. Keep around some healthy snacks that are easy to grab and go, like nuts or hard-boiled eggs. 

 

Do you have any other ideas, or questions? Send me a message to my Facebook page here: Melissa McAllister

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It’s spring! Are you enjoying the weather? How are those New Year’s resolutions going? Still working out like you planned, getting ready for summer?

 

I know, I know. You got busy. I get busy too! We all do. Life gets crazy, doesn’t it? It’s easy to feel like we’re too busy to fit in a good workout. But you know what will happen if we don’t exercise, right? Not exercising actually makes you feel more tired, like you have less energy. And if you have less energy, you don’t feel like working out. Between your busy schedule and being tired, it turns into a vicious cycle and it’s so easy to just stop exercising.

 

Don’t fall for that! It’s so important for your health to keep exercising, and exercising is what keeps your energy levels up! Even with a really hectic schedule you can still fit exercise into your day. Here are some ideas for how to work out on a busy schedule:

 

1. Go for quality over quantity. Did you know you can get a very efficient and effective workout in in just 15 minutes? Check out high-intensity interval training (HIIT), bodyweight exercises, and tabata training. These are all exercises that can be packed into a very small amount of time, but they can really give you a great energy boost and help with fat loss. You can do either high-intensity interval strength training, or high-intensity interval cardio training, or combine them depending on what you need. 

 

2. Do something you like! You’ve heard me say this before, but it’s so important. Find an exercise you like to do! If there’s something physical that you really enjoy doing, you won’t have to work so hard to fit it into your day. It will be something you really look forward to, instead of “Oh, ugh, I have to go work out.” You are much more likely to stick with an activity you enjoy doing. So, what do you like? Dancing? Yoga? Kickboxing? Basketball? Running? Whatever it is, go for it! Don’t feel like you have to be tied to a gym or to someone else’s idea of exercise.

 

3. Join Team Challenges. Competition can be a great motivator to stick with your exercise routine. Set a goal and then let the group challenge you to stick with it, meet your goal or maybe even do better than your goal! If you don’t know where to find a Team Challenge, just let me know and I’ll get you started with one that fits your needs! A good team can challenge you to find creative ways to fit your workout in.

 

4. Make an appointment with yourself. It’s so easy to let other things get in the way of our workouts. Think of it this way—if you had a doctor’s appointment scheduled, would you skip it if you decided you just didn’t feel like going? Of course you wouldn’t! Treat your workout the same way. You can even think of it as an appointment for your health, because … well, because it is! When you invest time in your own health, you will feel better, and you will spend less time (and money) in the doctor’s office.

 

5. Something is better than nothing. It all counts, I promise. Even if all you can do in a very busy day is some yoga at your desk, do it! On a very busy day think about parking far away so that you can get your steps in. Take the stairs, always. And even on the busiest day see if you can swing just 15—or even 10!—minutes of bodyweight exercises or HIIT. It all counts. 

 

Of course, check out all the different workout programs Beachbody offers. Several of the Beachbody programs have those short, intense workouts that you can slip right into your day. For starters, TurboFire, P90X, and PiYo have some awesome options for shorter workouts. I’m more than happy to help you figure out which is the right program for you. Shoot me a text to 972-786-3605 if you have any questions or are ready to get started with a Spring fitness program!

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You know I love Shakeology! It’s packed full of superfood nutrition, good protein, fiber, antioxidants, and even probiotics. And you’ve heard me talk about how it’s the healthiest meal of your day. But did you know how versatile it is?

 

1. Meal replacement/supplement. Of course, you can use Shakeology as one of your meals. Many people have a shake for breakfast, getting their day started off right with superfood nutrition! You can add fruit, extra protein, healthy fats, whatever you need for your most delicious, nutritious, and easiest meal of the day.

 

2. Beat the afternoon slump. You know how we often start to have an energy slump in the afternoon? Don’t reach for coffee or one of those energy drinks! Those will perk you up, but will quickly put you back down in another energy slump. Shakeology will not only perk you up, but it supports healthy blood sugar levels so that energy will be sustained through the rest of your afternoon. You’ll feel great!

 

3. Workout recovery. After you’ve had a tough workout, your body needs to replenish its stores. You need protein, electrolytes and calories … but not too many calories! Shakeology is perfect for workout recovery, full of protein, minerals, electrolytes, and just the right amount of calories. 

 

4. Healthy snacks. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a healthy snack you could go to, so that you could pick yourself up and beat cravings without compromising your nutrition? Well, you do! Shakeology is so flexible. You can have half a scoop, if you just need a little something. Or, you can even mix it up with peanut butter and other healthy ingredients, to make energy balls or other on the go snacks!  And that leads me to a really fun way to use Shakeology:

 

5. Dessert! Craving something sweet after dinner, and you just can’t kick it? Shakeology to the rescue! Try mixing up some chocolate Shakeology with rolled oats, protein powder, peanut butter and bananas, and then freeze. Boom! Healthy chocolate treats! Or, add some vanilla Shakeology to the milk of your choice, add peanut butter and bananas, blend it up and freeze—healthy, yummy ice cream! Enjoy your sweet treats without any guilt!

 

Did I miss anything? Let me know how you use Shakeology!

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I want to talk to you about goal-setting today.

 

A lot of people come up with New Year’s resolutions. What I love to do is to come up with goals, and then go out and achieve those goals! Wow, easy for me to say, right? But you can achieve your goals if you break them down into these concrete steps. 

 

1. Write them down! You must write down your goals, whether it’s in your journal, or on your smart phone, anywhere! There are actually a lot of studies that show that when you physically write your goals down on paper, you’re more likely to achieve them. But we are in a technical age where everything is on our phones or our tablets, so do what you can—writing them somewhere, somehow, is better than not doing it at all!

 

Also, make your written goals visible! Put them on your refrigerator, or your mirror, in your purse or wallet, on your phone lock screen—somewhere where you can go back and SEE them often. Keep them in front of you, to remind you!

 

2. Make them measurable! Don’t say, “Oh, I want to lose weight this year.” “I want to get in shape.” These goals are too vague. There’s no way to go back and say if you really did them or not. Be specific! Say, “I want to lose 20 pounds.” Or maybe it’s “I want to gain 20 pounds” for those of you looking to put on some muscle! 

 

Instead of saying “I want to eat healthier,” say “I’m going to eat leafy greens at every meal.” When you’re specific about your goals, you can look back and see if you actually did them or not.

 

3. Set a deadline! So, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds, do you want to do that in one day? In 10 years? What? You want to give yourself a deadline so that you can put together an action plan to meet that deadline. For example, “I want to lose 20 pounds by June 1, so that I’m ready for the beach!” That is a measurable goal, it’s something that you can write down, and it has a deadline. 

 

4. Make your action plan! Okay, so you’re going to lose 20 pounds by June. How are you going to do it? Are you going to get a Beachbody program? Are you going to hire a personal trainer or a nutritionist? Whatever you need, you have to have some kind of action plan for how you’re going to do it. 

 

5. Remember your “why!” Lastly, and you’ve heard me say this before, and you’re going to hear me say it again and again and again: Why? Why do you want to achieve this goal? Why do you want to lose 20 pounds by June 1? Is it to have more energy? Is it to fit into a swimsuit that you haven’t been able to fit into? Maybe you’re going to a class reunion that summer? Again, attach a “why” to it, and you’ll be surprised at how that keeps you motivated!

 

So these are five ways you can meet your goals in 2016! As always, if you need help meeting those goals, I’m more than happy to help! Email me here: melissa@teammadeonline.com

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Beachbody is such a great company—great products, great supplements—I just love everything about it! And I love that it allows you to build a business as well! 

 

The key to a great Beachbody business is having a great team, so today I want to talk specifically about some ways you can build a successful team. 

 

1. Lead by example. You have to lead by example! If you’re not on the calls, if you’re not drinking Shakeology, if you’re not running challenge groups, your team is going to see that—and they’re not going to be on the call, they’re not going to drink Shakeology, and they’re not going to do the challenge groups! You have to do what you want your team to do as well, so you have to be able to lead by example.

 

2. Attract, don’t push! You want to attract team members. You don’t want to push people to be a coach! We all know those people who are a little too pushy. What happens is that you end up with guilt coaches—meaning they only signed up to get you off their backs. You don’t want those! You want people who see what you’re doing, love the results that you’re getting, love the energy that you’re getting from Shakeology and working out, and love the fact that you’re able to make some additional money, and they want to be just like you! You’re attracting those people. They’re thinking, “I want what you have!” as opposed to the people who are thinking “Yes, I’ll sign up, anything to get you off my back!”

 

3. Communication is key. To build a successful team you have to communicate. You can do this through weekly or monthly calls with your team, a dedicated Facebook group, a group text—whatever it is, everyone needs to be on the same page, motivated to show each other, push each other, hold each other accountable.

 

4. Personal development. Whether you’re reading 10 pages a day, or soaking in professional development videos, or have a coach … find and use some tool that will make you better on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Always be improving! And this will lead to your team doing the same thing. If you want to build a successful team, it starts with you making yourself better. 

 

Hopefully these tips help you build up your team! If you have any tips that I may have left out, feel free to add them in the comments!

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All right! Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and for a lot of people around the country that means piling their plates high with lots of yummy food and desserts! It’s not the healthiest time of the year for a lot of us. So I have three tips to help you have a healthier Thanksgiving!

 

1. Work out on Turkey Day! My first tip is to work out on Thanksgiving day. There are several events around the country, if you want to get out and have a great time working out with other people. I know that if you’re in the Dallas area there’s something called Turkey Trot that you can participate in if you’re a runner. If running is the last thing on your mind that’s okay! You can use one of the Beachbody programs, whichever one is your favorite. if you’re going out of town be sure to pack it with you. If you’re staying home you already have all those resources, so get up, get your workout in, so that way the whole day is not just lying around and eating!

 

2. Eat a little of everything! Speaking of eating, number two is, get a little bit of everything! And I stress, a little bit of everything. I know that a lot of us have our favorite foods on Thanksgiving, whether it’s turkey, dressing, or the cranberry sauce or the yams or the pumpkin pie—I can go on and on and on! But make sure that you just get a little bit of everything, so you can try everything but you’re not putting yourself into a food coma. And also remember there is such a thing as leftovers, so you don’t have to eat everything at one time! Eat little meals, and you can go back for more later, maybe after the football games. But try not to gorge yourself and eat that huge meal!

 

3. Give thanks! And tip number three is to actually give thanks. You may think, “What does this have to do with health?” Well, it’s actually good for us to give thanks! It’s good for our mood and our health. It’s called contentment, looking at what we already have as opposed to what we don’t have. Take some time whether it’s out loud with family, or whether you’re jotting it down in a journal, and really reflect on what you’re thankful for right now. Don’t lose sight of your goals and your “why” on those things you’re working to change, but always remember we have tons to be thankful for right now! I’m thankful for all of you out there that continue to follow my blog and my posts, and I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

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A question I get all the time is, “Why should I become a Beachbody coach?”

 

I love being a Beachbody coach, and these are five reasons why I think you will love it too!

 

1. Helping others. Probably the best reason to be a Beachbody coach is that you get to help others! There are a lot of rewarding industries out there, but I can tell you from experience there’s nothing more rewarding than someone texting me, calling me, communicating with me about how much progress they’ve made since starting Beachbody/drinking Shakeology/taking the products. And it’s not just about the weight loss! Sometimes it’s fitting into a pair of jeans they haven’t worn since high school. Or, they finally have the energy now to play with their kids, and do the things they need to get done. It’s getting to that person’s “Why?” That, to me, is one of the most rewarding things about being a coach: You’re able to help someone, and guide them, and not only help them meet their fitness goals, but sometimes financial goals and even life goals.

 

2. You’re already doing it! You’re probably already acting like a coach! If you’re a customer of another coach, or a customer of mine, you’re ordering Shakeology all the time, you’re ordering other products, and you’re telling your friends and family how great it is, you’re already basically doing the work for free! Being a coach is not only a great way to make an income from recommending the products, but also you get a discount on the products that you’re already using! If you’re already excited and you enthusiastically recommend Beachbody to others, become a coach and help yourself out more as well!

 

3. Your health will improve. When you’re a coach, it’s very difficult to not practice what you preach! So by default, you’re healthier! Typically you’re busy running challenge groups, you’re drinking shakeology, you’re doing the Beachbody programs, and you’re talking and living fit all the time, so in turn you become healthier by being a coach!

 

4. Make extra money! As a coach, you have the opportunity to supplement or to complement your already existing income. We have a lot of coaches who get to a point to where they’re able to leave their full-time job! However, I want to put out a disclaimer that this does not happen overnight, it takes time to build up your team and your customer base. But you can absolutely get to a point where you're making a significant side income or primary income for yourself as well.

 

5. Freedom! One of the most important reasons to become a Beachbody coach is the freedom! Since the structure allows you to have a residual income and a passive income, you’re able to, on a whim, just go out of town for the week or the weekend! You can do that without having to call up and put in a request for your vacation. I'm sure if you follow me on Instagram and on Facebook you see me and Mick on all kinds of vacations. Beachbody has allowed us to do that!

Building my coaching business to that point was very hard work at the time, but very rewarding, and very worth it!

 

So to answer the initial question why you should become Beachbody coach, there are five great reasons! If you are a coach and have another great reason for why someone should become a coach, I encourage you to comment and let us know!

For for info, please visit my website at TeamMadeOnline.com

 

 

 

 

Thanks!