Years ago Billy Graham, the pastor to the presidents, was asked, “out of all translations of the Bible available, which one would you say was the best?”  Billy answered with a clever remark that has stuck with me.  What he said was “whichever one you will read.”  I think that we should look at our exercise in the same way.  There are thousands of ways for us to get exercise and thousands of plans and products out there to pick from and everyone is always trying to find which ones are the most effective and best.  The best exercise program, plan, sport … out there is the one you will have fun and like to do.  So find the thing that you have fun doing and THAT will be the best and most effective exercise for you.

Note:  Corey Pinkerton received free product in exchange for his blog.

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I’m not a huge fan of Gyms.  I would much rather be outside soaking in the beauty of mother earth.  I know that some people would prefer the gym over battling with bugs, animals, and the weather but that is just not me.   Although I don’t really like them, I do find myself joining the gym rats on their electronic wheels every now and then.   But when I have my choice I am the mountain lion conquering the world outside of the cages, taking on whatever nature can throw at me.  One of my secrets to staying energized and having fun while I’m out is having a snack with me to keep my body fueled.  The biggest loser protein products are so quick and easy, they are what I usually reach for as I’m running out the door to conquer the world.

Note:  Corey Pinkerton received free product in exchange for his blog.

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Note: Burgandy Keel has received free product in exchange for her blog.

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My favorite Biggest Loser Protein Product is the All Natural Protein Bar with Fiber. I love the Vanilla Almond Bars. They are so easy to grab quick, on the go, and throw into my gym bag to have after my workout. I am training now for my second marathon, The Boston Marathon, in April, and having energy to finish my long workouts is key to my success. The Biggest Loser Protein Bar really helps to curb my hunger in between meals, and give me that boost of energy to make it through the rest of the day. If there is one thing thats always in my gym bag, it the Biggest Loser Protein bar.

All Natural Biggest Loser protein bars

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Is summer really over?  Wow does time fly by!  This summer I traveled across the country meeting many of you along the way and we talked about different ways to stay fit.  One thing that I have realized about myself during these past few years is that in order for me to stay fit and excited about getting up every day I have to have different events that I train for.

I started right after the Biggest Loser with my first 5k in Phoenix, AZ for Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  I thought it was perfect!  After making the connection and being empowered by my team color ‘PINK’ on the Biggest Loser. There couldn’t have been a better fit for my first race to be one that supported other women fighting for their lives and strength.  Day in and day out when I didn’t feel like getting up I thought about all those other women out there in ‘PINK’ who were fighting so many bigger battles than me and it gave me strength to carry on.

I find when I put myself in that frame of mind and kind of narrow in on what feels so hard and impossible for me, it brings it back to reality and I am able to break my obstacle back down one step at a time.  There are so many things in my life and this world that I have no control over and there is nothing I can do about it, so it is important for me to focus on that which I can, in this moment.

I remember being scared to death the morning of the 5K.  What if I couldn’t do it?  What if I was the last one to cross the line?  What if I trip?

After I started none of those thoughts mattered, I was completed moved by running after the survivors of breast cancer in their honored ‘PINK’ t-shirts and amongst family and friends.  It was that day that I realized that this will be how I stay healthy the rest of my life.  I made the commitment to myself to pick 3 races a year to train for, for me and for all those who can’t.

This year one of those races is the San Diego Susan G. Komen Race  for the Cure on Nov. 7, 2010, I decided to go back to my roots!  However, this time I’m going to be the Captain!  I know I’ll give you a minute to catch your breath and settle back down.

Start lacing up those walking /running shoes, because we are getting ready to TRAIN!  You are going to join my team, aren’t you?  Follow this link http://www.komensandiego.org/ to sign up to be on Team Designer Whey.  I can’t WAIT let’s see how many people we can get to be on our team.

Until next time,

Ali xo

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DESIGNER WHEY is challenging you to Get Healthy. Get Strong. And Get Results. For the next 90 days, we want you to set a few fitness goals for yourself and track them, posting your weekly results on our Facebook page. At the end of each month during the challenge, we’ll pick a few people who are on track with their goals to receive free products.

With a solid and well thought-out exercise and nutrition plan, you can achieve your fitness goals, no matter what they are. Whether you want to lose 5 or 100 lbs, to run a marathon, to lift more weight in the gym or to just have more energy, Designer Whey is with you every step of the way.

Let’s start with Goal Setting. Most everyone’s heard of S.M.A.R.T. Goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Using the S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting System will ensure you’re set up for success. Using the worksheet found on Facebook, write down your S.M.A.R.T. goals. Here’s an example:

Specific: I want to lose 20 pounds in 3 months and reduce my B.M.I from 33% to 24%. Replace my morning coffee with Green Tea; Eat 5 servings fruits & veggies daily; Get at least 75 grams of protein daily.

Measurable: I will write down my progress in a fitness journal everyday. I’ll evaluate my success at the end of every week so I can plan accordingly for next week.

Attainable: The goals I’ve set above are easily achievable. If anything, I will make sure I’m going over & above in my daily efforts so I am pleasantly surprised at the end of the 3 months.

Realistic: Losing 20lbs in 3months breaks down to 1.6 pounds every week. I can do this!!!!

Timely:  At the end of three months, I am going on a vacation to Hawaii with my family. That’s a REALLY nice reward when I reach my goals.

Once I achieve my short term goal, I’ll re-evaluate my goals to include a few long-term ones, like running a marathon or eliminating caffeine from my diet altogether.

Make a list of 10 things you can do right away to get on track. Here’s mine:

1)     I’m going to use a fitness journal to track my daily progress. I like fitbook – it’s the most comprehensive and user-friendly tool of its kind. It fits right in my purse or gym bag so I can take it anywhere. I also like the daily nutrition checklists. There’s even a multivitamin reminder! Research says: write down everything you eat and you can cut your intake by 500 to 1,000 calories a day. To learn more about fitbook, visit them at www.getfitbook.com

 2)     I tossed out all the junk food from my desk drawers and kitchen. I threw away Oreo’s, Diet Coke and lots of candy. I feel healthier already!

 3)     Every morning, I put 2 big bottles of water on my desk. I don’t leave at the end of the day until every drop is gone!   

 4)     I won’t eat or drink anything after 7pm except maybe a scoop of DW in 8 oz of skim milk to keep me satisfied until the morning.

 5)     I exercise BEFORE work so there’s no excuses after work (too tired, family obligations, etc).

 6)     I’ve stocked my kitchen with fresh fruits and veggies. I put fresh cut veggies in baggies so I can easily grab them every morning before work.

 7)     I won’t deprive myself of any treats, but I will eat CONSCIOUSLY, meaning no more mindless grazing in the afternoons and I will read labels.

 8)     I am going to eat 6 smaller meals everyday as opposed to 3 big meals. That way my energy will stay up all day long and I won’t cave in so easily to my cravings.

 9)     I’ve enlisted a couple of friends who also want to drop a few pounds and get healthier & stronger. We put together a workout schedule for the week that includes 3 yoga classes, 3 power walks and 2 weight-lifting sessions at the gym.

 10) Last but not least – I put pictures up at work and home of my upcoming trip to Hawaii: the resort pool, the beautiful beaches and a KILLER bikini that I’m going to buy for my trip. My motivation is always right in front of me.

 We’ll provide daily fitness & nutrition tips as well as LOTS of motivation & inspiration. Together, we can do this!

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Welcome to Designer Whey’s Protein Shakes 101. If you’re looking for a way to turn ordinary protein shakes into extraordinary, delicious and healthy shakes, you’ve come to the right place! 

By adding simple, easy to find ingredients, you can power up your protein shakes while adding fantastic flavor and lots of variety. Here are some great shake additions that will send the nutritional content of your protein shakes soaring.

Let’s start with the most basic shake addition: fruits. A good rule of thumb is to use fresh fruits that are in season. You’ll get better flavor and it’s more economical than using “off-season” fruits. Your best bet during summer months are berries.

Strawberries are probably the most common fruit added to protein shakes. Not only are they delicious, they are loaded with vitamins and minerals including B Vitamins, vitamin K, copper, and magnesium. Strawberries also contain omega fatty acids. All of this goodness is only 45 calories for about seven medium strawberries. And not only that, the fiber in 1/2 cup strawberries accounts for about 12% of your RDA per serving. The fiber helps your body absorb nutrients, inhibits the production of cholesterol in your liver, and helps stabilize your blood glucose.

Blueberries are not only low in calories, they rank the highest of any fruit for antioxidants. and one cup delivers 14% of the recommended daily dose of fiber and nearly a quarter of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.

Raspberries also contain strong antioxidants such as Vitamin C. Did you know that they can help you burn fat? Raspberries are packed with fiber and manganese. Fiber helps slow the digestive process so you feel full longer. Manganese is a trace mineral that helps keep your metabolic rate high. A higher metabolic rate helps burn fat.

During winter months, frozen fruits are a great alternative to fresh. Check your local club superstore for great buys on large bags of mixed “smoothie” fruit. This is the most economical way to pack off-season fruits into your protein shakes.

 One of the most popular nutritional trends right now are Green Smoothies. Add just a handful or two of spinach to your blender to get the amazing benefits of this superfood. If you’re not crazy about veggies, adding a few strawberries will not only mask the taste of the spinach, you’ll get even more fruits & veggies in your protein shake. 

There are so many health benefits to eating spinach, it’s almost impossible to know where to start! This leafy green is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium, and vitamin B6. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber, and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids. So go for a green smoothie today…It’s an easy way to get to your recommended 5 a day of fruits and vegetables.

And speaking of Omega-3’s, if you’re not adding Flaxseed or Flax Oil to your shakes, stop everything right now and get to it! Flaxseed contains all sorts of heart healthy components, including

• Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects.
• Lignans, which have antioxidant qualities. and
• Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types

Last but not least – if you want a creamier shake and an extra protein boost, add non-fat greek or regular yogurt. Yogurt contains calcium, B Vitamins, potassium, and magnesium. But one of the benefits we’re hearing more and more about regarding yogurt is “probiotics.” Probiotics are “friendly bacteria” that aid digestion.

Check out Designer Whey on Facebook for new shakes recipes every week. Designer Whey….helping you Get Healthy, Get Strong and Get Results.

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I recently received some devastating news, and like most other humans, I handled it by retreating, pouting, and drinking enough red wine to cater an Irish wedding. I’m not saying I’m the first person to suffer a broken heart, but the person who coined the phrase must have had one. It really gives you physical pain in your chest.

Shortly thereafter, I was reminded of a statement an old football coach made to me that has stuck with me since. He said, “Life is a series of disappointments, and how we handle them determines our value as people.” Then he cussed me out for the mistake I made. But he was right then and it applies now. We had a choice to make. Keep pouting or do something about the things we can control. And fortunately for most people, our physical and mental wellness is something that is in our control.

I talked to my trainer and told her it was time to get in shape, really in shape mentally and physically. When she took a look at what I was doing she suggested a major lifestyle change. As we get older our metabolisms slow down, and a way to jump start it happens early in the morning. She suggested, or really insisted, that I do thirty minutes of cardio BEFORE breakfast. That requires an earlier wake up, and a bit of discipline for a “night owl”.

The biggest obstacle was a lack of energy early in the morning. But Designer Whey products have helped cure the problem. A scoop of protein in a shake at bedtime has given me the necessary energy. And after just two weeks of this lifestyle change, I am five pounds down. We have to make sure we look forward to each new day, and if you face the sun, the shadows will always be behind you.

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In the beginning, life on the Ranch wasn’t easy, but being away from all my loved ones, food, problems, work and everyday stress was actually good. For the first time I found myself working hard, for me. Looking back, there were moments I wanted to leave the Ranch, even though deep down inside I didn’t want to leave and tried to stay on the Ranch as long as I could.

Then came the return home. It was completely different from being on the Ranch. I went through a great period of adjustment. This is where the Biggest Loser Protein products came into play. I used them at the Ranch but once I came home I implemented the Biggest Loser Protein products to my routine and continued writing in my journal. I knew I had to work harder at home so I used the protein shakes with fruit or milk before and after workouts. I drank my protein all day to replenish my muscles. Because I was working out 6 to 8 hours a day, I needed to stay strong. My desire was to reach my goal weight which I did. And I surpassed it!!  Now I am on my way to bodybuilding and sculpting. The Biggest Loser products will help me succeed, improve and show that we can turn a body around.

Now that the weight is off, toning and tightening my muscles is my next challenge. Thank you for all your attention and products. I couldn’t have achieved 22% BMI (the lowest of Season 9!!) without them. I now have beautiful toned legs and arms. It was definitely worth the hard work and sweat. Although I didn’t win the monetary prize, being the healthiest contestant at 22% BMI after surgery is the biggest and best prize of all.

Getting my life back internally, externally, physically, and emotionally is the biggest reward anyone can ask for. I am so grateful to The Biggest Loser, my trainer Desmond Thompson, my family and friends. Again, thank you. 

- MIGGY

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This is the final thought of helpful tips and methods on “defeating the Itis” pertaining to the daily fitness routines that many go through.

Well once again I am coming to the close of another segment and with that I wanted to offer some final thoughts on the underlining message behind this last series of blogs, which is “it doesn’t matter how you get yourself into the gym, it’s just important that you do.” I say getting yourself into the gym but what I am really talking about here is following through in general when it comes to fitness resolutions. It can be as simple as doing pushups and sit ups in front of the TV or running a mile or two around the block every day or making sure that you stick to a certain caloric value on a daily level. Whatever your fitness goals are it is important that you follow through with them, and in order to do so you have to create some sort of routine or regimen that keeps you on the right path to achieving these goals.  That is what I was trying to do with this set of blogs, offer up some helpful tips and tactics to make staying on whatever path you set for yourself a little less trifling.

Staying on these paths that we make for ourselves is much easier if we make our goals realistically obtainable. Creating goals like seeing a drastic change in your body figure or a major decrease in your weight or wanting to be in the top ten for a marathon are all perfectly fine goals, and yes it is true that anyone can achieve them. But what is unrealistic are some of the timelines that people put forth to reach these destinations. If you are a hundred pounds overweight and in really bad physical health, you are not going see results over night in trying to be in the top ten places of a marathon. But you will see significant improvement and over time if you keep on a realistic schedule you will arrive at that goal. I read stories all of the time about something like this happening, so it is absolutely reachable. But within all of these stories that I read, there are always depictions of the (in most cases) long road that it takes to get there. Which is why it is important to set bench marks for these physical aspirations because while it is in fact important to always keep the main goal in sight it is even more important to mark your progression in reaching it. Lots of time we burn out on our habitual fitness routines because we are not seeing the results we want and we are not receiving that notion of self gratification that we feel when we accomplish our goals.  In this day and age with convenience in technology, schooling, and infrastructure break down, as a society we want immediate results. We loved this “internet thing” when it was brand new even though it took 15 min to change the page we were on. But now we spit at our computer when it takes more than ten seconds load. Don’t get me wrong this progression in life is amazing and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but it has enabled us as a society in many ways. And part of that enablement is how we handle situations when the going gets tough.

We all hit walls in every aspect of life, there is no avoiding them. But it is what we do when we hit those walls that makes or breaks us. I for one spent a lot of my life getting to these walls and trying to find a way around them instead of a way over them.  I would set goals with unrealistic timelines to achieve them and when I would hit one of these walls I would just create a new goal with a new path, instead. And I would keep doing this over and over again every time a wall popped up.  This just creates a labyrinth where we often find ourselves circling back to where we started and losing a lot of ground and time in the process.  Sometimes when we get to these walls it is in fact good to try and go around them, but in doing so it’s imperative that you remember to find your way back to that original path or you will slowly progress away from your true objective until it is completely out of reach for you.

With the right goals and timelines, it is much more accessible to stick to your routines to help you acquire what you truly want. And when you hit these so called walls try and climb them, use some of the techniques that I have shared with you or create your own to keep you on that mental and physical corridor that is needed for you to reach your overall goals. Once again, these are simply the opinions of a guy who has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

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