It is no surprise to anyone that eating healthy can be expensive but is necessary to maintain a healthy quality of life! If you do not want to have health issues or doctor bills than spending the time eating healthy and exercising are key!

So here are my top tips to eat well and on a budget: 1) Plan, plan, plan ahead! If you go to the grocery store armed only with your appetite and no list, not meal plan, no menu you are likely to A) grab junk and B) spend more because of unsureness of meals etc. So go to http://beachbodycoach.com/BethSimpler and get a club membership so you can get access to meal planning tools and support!

2) Clip coupons on the foods you buy most! This has saved me hundreds of dollars by searching the ads online, the manufacturers, and in the Sunday paper! With meals planned you will clip what you need and again not be buying aimlessly!

3) Buy in bulk! When its possible buy items in bulk, Sam's Club and Costco are great for this! You pay a bit more initially but in the long run the savings per ounce/gram are a lot more!

4) Buy frozen! If something is not in season or is not being sold then go grab the frozen (Ex: strawberries/broccoli etc!) These are frozen right after they are harvested to ensure nutrients are locked in too! This is a lot cheaper sometime then always buying fresh.

5) But what is in season! It is winter right now so there a lot of winter fruits and veggies that are sold right now and these items will often be less expensive than their out of season factory grown counterparts

! 6) Go to your local farmers market! Generally these products are grown near by (always a plus) and they are considerably cheaper than buying at the grocery store!

7) Buy whole food options and make your own! Sure its quicker to buy fast food but you are also shortening your life! So go for buying whole foods and ingredients! They last longer for more meals and it is cheaper and healthier!
 
So as you may or may not know I have decided to give P90x another go! I have completed the program before but at the time my nutrition was not where it should have been, I never made the changes so I had results and they were great but it wasn't what I was hoping for.

Let me say this loud and clear, IT WAS MY FAULT THE PROGRAM DID NOT WORK TO ITS FULL CAPACITY! So with that said I love(d) it! Tony and the crew of people in the DVDs are great and they always leave me feeling like I gave it my all!

So I've decided to do the program again in prep for X2!! This is week three for me and I have already lost 2% body fat!! But those results really speak for themselves!

The Message: Muscle burns fat! I have been really focusing on adding muscle to my 5'8 lean frame, heavy weight and low reps most days, so am so thrilled to share with you so I will try to keep you posted! I really love this program because it really has it all, muscle confusion, lifting, plyo, karate, and yoga! So each day you do something new and its a very very fun program! And it has something for everyone which is nice, something for beginners, advanced, whatever your level you CAN do this program! I love that!

Also, I'll be posting a youtube journal of this too! So check that out too! If you want more details on how this can happen to you email me at [email protected]
 
_ } Why diets DO NOT WORK!

So you started the New Year, bought a diet book, and you are weeks in and nothing has changed, you are exercising regularly and everything right?  Why is this you may ask? BECAUSE YOU CANNOT DIET! 

 

The word diet implies a TEMPORARY which means you will lose your desired weight or close to it and then revert to your old eating habits! “yo-yo”ing is not healthy and will not ensure permanent and healthy weight loss. There will always be fads and claims to help you lose weight, but chances are if it sounds too good to be true or it forces you to stop eating a particular nutrient chances are it is not healthy or sustainable. Do not be fooled!

 

 You lose weight by eating healthy (5-6 small meals a day) and (exercising 4-6 days a week). Veggies, fruits, lean protein, and whole wheat!

 
Why are my crunches not giving me a six pack?

There are so many articles, exercises, and gimmicks out there to convince


fitness enthusiasts that all they need to do is jump on the ground and do

hundreds of crunches and they will have the stomach of their dreams. Sure

these exercises are effective IF and ONLY IF you have low body fat! The key to

seeing abs is not doing millions of crunches this will only disappoint and

deplete your confidence! Instead you must burn off the fatty layer covering

your abdominals first. To do this you need to have a routine with intense cardio

sessions and by lifting heavy weights!





MY Recommendation:
* Intense cardio 3-4 days AT LEAST
* Lifting HEAVY weights 3-4 days
* Flexibility training at least 1 day
* Still work your abs but mix it up and work every muscle in your
abdominals 3 days a week!
~For more help with this email me!



Also, you have to eat a clean diet! Abs are made in the kitchen! 80% diet and 20% exercise!! What does this mean for you? It means eliminating the processed foods, sugars, high sodium, hydrogenated, and high fructose corn syrup toxified foods!! By eating lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole wheat you can improve your