10 Rules to Eating Healthy on a Budget

I hear people say all the time how expensive it is to eat healthy. All. The. Time.

"If only healthy food was cheaper, I would eat better..."

A load of crap that is. A total load of crap. I am about to blow the doors off that lame EXCUSE right now. Eating healthy doesn't have to cost a lot. Putting good food in your body is a choice that virtually all of us have.

In today's blog I am going to give you 10 ways to eat healthy on a budget.

I will tell you right off that bat that my goal is not to make life easier for you. Eating healthy is hard. I am also not going to tell you that it is going to take less time. No sir! If your excuse for not eating healthy is "I don't have time..." then I would give you some different answers. Eating healthy does indeed require effort, time and dollars.

Isn't your health important to you? Are you really going to give your health to the lowest bidder?

Sometimes it is a matter of perspective.

Here are the 8 rules to eating healthy on a budget.

RULE #1: Set a food budget. This summer in the house it is my wife and I, Teresa's mom, Teresa's 2 kids (age 8 and 12) and sometimes my 6'2" 14 year old son. This month we are doing the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge (the adults are). This should drive our food budget up but it does not because this is how we normally eat. We budget $160 per week for food.

That is $23 per day. Ends up being roughly $5 per person per day. (My son Colby isn't with us very much and he hardly eats anyway so I won't include him just to keep the numbers as accurate as possible) 5 people eating healthy for $23 per day. That's how much food we buy. PERIOD. No more no less. More on this later....

RULE #2: Make a plan then make a list from that plan. When I say "make a plan" I mean MAKE A PLAN. 7 days of breakfasts, snacks, lunches and dinners. When you are super meticulous about your plan you tend to not buy fluff. You buy what you need and that is all.

Also, STICK TO YOUR PLAN. I'm not gonna lie. I remember trying to do this why my ex wife and it was a train wreck. She would decide to make something random because the mood stuck her. Screwed up the whole plan.

Don't do this. Make a meal plan and stick to it.

RULE #3: Don't hold inventory for Publix. Seriously. Why do you need to stock up on crap that you may or may not need? I am all for using coupons and stuff but you don't need to carry inventory. Use what you have in your fridge and cupboards before you buy more. I bet that most of us could eat for a week on stuff that we have after we run out of food.

RULE #4: Do your research. I'll be honest. Coupons are cool and sometimes you can get a good deal but most of the stuff that is on sale with coupons is crappy food that you don't need. Look for coupons for things like cleaner and shampoo. When I say research I mean: which store have the cheapest fruits and vegetables. Where can you get the best deal on meats. Sometimes Sam's Club or Costco is a really good deal. Sometimes you over buy. Be careful. Once you make your list look around for the best deals.

RULE #5: Be consistent. Make you meal list on Sunday. Go shopping on Tuesday. Have the same breakfast, lunches, dinners and snacks. What if you know exactly what to buy EVERY Tuesday because you you have the same meals every week with little variation. This will save on time and as the weeks go on your will learn where to buy better food at a better price.

Also, make a habit of doing a "clean out the fridge day". Be honest. Show of hands. Who have handfuls of rotten grapes, tomatoes and a mango sitting at the bottom of the refrigerator?

Come on. You know this happens! Its a waste of money. Stop it!

RULE #6: Water is free from the tap. Drink it and like. Check it out. If you buy a two liter of Coke per week, per person, for a family of 5 like ours is going to cost you an extra $5-10 per week. Add to that juice, coffee and the other things that we drink the cost can get prohibitive.

Honestly, I drink my water with Spark which is not in my food budget. If money is really an issue with you and you need to save then you will live with strait water.

Visiting the vending machine for drinks in when the real money can add up. Talking about that next....

RULE #7: Going out to eat and visiting the venting machine. It you TRULY want to eat healthy then your food budget will be 100% what you buy in the super market. 100%!

Remember the numbers I told you early? Eating healthy for $5 per per person per day? Try going out to eat and see what that does to your budget. Let's take a look at some made up numbers that could be pretty accurate. Check this out:

1 time going out to eat at Applebees: $50+ (entrees 2@$10, 2@$ plus drinks and tips)
Going out for pizza: $30+
5 lunches at work: $35+ ($7 each)
One soda from a vending machine each person, each day: $45+
3 stops at inconvenience store: $18+ (assuming $6 each stop)
Bottle of wine for mom and six pack of beer for dad: $20+

TOTAL: $188 <--------- crap="" holy="" nbsp="" p="">
Yeah. That is more than my food budget. Are these number our of line? OK. Which ones? I would argue that these numbers could be a lot higher.

It is such crap that people say that eating healthy is so expensive. Of course it is a burden to spend $100+ per week on groceries when you already spend nearly $200 on convenience.

RULE #8: Prepare meals in bulk. A package of beans is a couple of bucks. Same goes for a package of rice. Soak them up. Cook them up. You feed a family of 5 for a couple of dinners and lunches for under $10.

This also helps to save time. My advice to people is that when you discover a meal that your family really like you cook double the amount and now it's dinner and two lunches.

RULE #9: Pack for the road. We went to the beach on Saturday. It cost us no extra. We packed lunches into a small cooler and brought water bottles.

Lunch should not be Subway. Lunch should be from a sack for dad at work and the kids at school.

My son had a camp last week. Each day for a lunch he got scrambled eggs and fruit. He ate healthy and it didn't cost a lot of money. If you head out the door without a PLAN for how you are going to nourish yourself until you get home then it is YOUR FAULT if you spend extra. Don't blame it on the expensive food. Blame it on you not making the right choices.

RULE #10: You and your kids don't need desserts and treats. You really don't don't. You want treats? Add money to your food budget but DO NOT buy packages of popsicles, Little Debbies, and the like and claim you don't have money to eat healthy.

THAT is on you. It's not about the price of food.

From today's blog post you didn't get any tips on where to buy cheap healthy food. You didn't get tips on how to prepare a healthy meal for pennies....

Why? It's not about the details. It's about YOU and your PURPOSE. It's about building a foundation and then building your life. When you develop the right habits and have the right priorities then the details get filled in.

The point of this article is to demonstrate to you that eating healthy is a expensive is a bull shit excuse and not you should know it. It's a priority. It's a decision. You are making it right now. It's on you.

How well are you feeding your family? What are the choices that you are making?

I hope that this blog today helped you. I hope that maybe you got a little pissed off at me and maybe at yourself. Sometimes anger will spur you to action.

If you still blame the food industry for your issues then there is nothing that I can do for you.

Did you get benefit from today's post? If so then please bless others by sharing on social media. To do that go to your Facebook and post this link "www.yourbestfitnesscoach.com" or simple click "share".

We appreciate that!

Our 30 Day Clean Eating program has been a huge success. Here is what some of the participants are saying:

"Happiness is fitting back in to the shorts you couldn't wear last week!!!" Angela H.

"I just want to share. Strict Clean Eating for 2 weeks (No Cheating) and I have lost 2.5 inches and 2% of my body fat. Those are huge results for me." - Teresa 

"Love the recipes!! I can see my abs really getting defined! I love how I'm eating more and am never starving when I used to carb starve myself! Thank you guys!" - Libby 


"Really love the deliciously filling food, lots of energy and feeling different in my clothes!! Look good, feel good!" - Kristi

The program is currently closed BUT we are going to re-launch soon. Do you want to be part of the re-launch? If so then simply send me an email and tell me. We would love to work with you!

You are a champion. Happy Monday!

To your success!

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach 

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

Instagram: @rickcopley 

352-989-6795

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page 

P.S. My wife did a super powerful blog post yesterday. It is an AWESOME post with a female perspective on muscles and "bulkiness". I think you will be surprised at what she says and some of the transformations that she talks about. What till you see Rachel's before and after! 

Read her blog here: http://ladygurusfitkitchen.blogspot.com/2014/07/women-and-weigtlifting.html

Top 10 Weight Loss Mistakes

Before I dive into today's topic I want to explain a little bit about the tittle of this post.

Normally I would keep things in a positive light. Normally I would tell people to not focus on what's wrong but instead focus on what is right.

Why be normal?

Really. People are so different and some people can't ever reached some ways. Hopefully today's post will help people that have failed to try again and learn from their mistakes. Hopefully someone reading this post will someday succeed.

Today I want to make a difference in at least one persons life. Maybe it will be you?

Lets assume that you want to lose weight. At least that was the goal. You either are not succeeding and still trying or you have given up. Or maybe you are just getting started and want to succeed. No matter where you are on the journey this information will be valuable to you.

Top 10 Weight Loss Mistakes 

1. Lack of a defined purpose. If someone says to you, "Why do you want to lose weight?" What do you say?

Do you say something like, "My brood pressure is high" or "My doctor said I need to lose a few pounds" or "I have a Reunion coming up" then you are already heading down the wrong road.

Seriously. In the grand scheme of things how much does it matter if you look like you are 40 at your 20 year reunion instead of looking like you are 60? Do you really think your high school classmate from the 90's are going to be impressed by your 10 pounds of weight loss? You will NEVER look like you did at 18 so why the hell are you trying?

Showing up at the gym because SOMEONE ELSE said you should is also a recipe for failure. When you show up at the YMCA to tell the wellness coach "My doctor said I need to workout" well then what you are REALLY saying to yourself is, "I'll show him...this is not going to work."

Never do something because someone else says you should.

If you show up at the gym with tears in your eyes saying, "I need to be able to keep up with my 2 year old because she can run faster than I can..." or "I feel like I am not going to be around to see my kids graduate high school...." or "I am discussed by what I say in the mirror this morning..." then you are on the right track.

There is nothing in this world that is worth a crap that you will accomplish without having a strong purpose. Find your purpose and you are on the right track.

2. Going on a diet. I am about to offend MANY people in the next paragraph. My advice is that if you have thin skin and are offended easy then stop reading. My advice is that if you are a professional blamer and excuse maker you may want to close your browser now.

Shit's about to get real.

Diets are stupid. Diets don't work. Diets will never work. Diets are a short term solution to a long term problem. Diets are an amazing scapegoat for people that really don't want to change. Diet plans are simply a money making tool for people that don't care about you.

There. Hopefully we weeded out posers and the people still reading are the ones that actually want to lose weight.

This article is about the mistakes that people make and not necessary a detailed explanation of what you do. There are lot's of other articles about what to do. To learn how to EAT PROPERLY and not ever again "diet" check out our 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge.  For more advice on eating the right foods via pictures I suggest that you follow Teresa on Instagram. You can also follow Rick on Instagram. This is not dieting. It's about eating right!

Did I hammer that one one? "Going on a diet" doesn't work. It just doesn't.

3. Wanting to lose the weight before working out. I don't think I have ever met anyone that lost weight and then decided to start and exercise program. Losing weight is about synergy and balance. It's about empowering your body to shed fat and built muscle. It's about loading up your body with nutrition and growing your fitness though metabolic conditioning.

If you tell people that you want to lose the weight then you are going to go to the gym then you are setting yourself up for failure. Trust me. This plan doesn't work. It's a stupid plan. I will use this Cars.com commercial over and over again because it is total awesomeness....

4. Don't get help. Have you ever run into that person that says, "I'm going to do it on my own."

Why?

What is the purpose behind that? I put on on this weight and I am going to lose it all by myself? I don't need help. How narcissistic. Really, whats the point?

I see it all the time. It's just an excuse. You need help. You either needs an accountability group, a coach, a trainer, or something to hold you accountability. You need support.

What truly successful person do you know that says they did it all themselves? It's just silly but many people say it. Your accountability doesn't have to be defined by someone else. Don't get me wrong. You don't need to spend a lot of money on a personal trainer or some exclusive membership but you do need help; we all do.

5. Focusing on one aspect of exercise. Running to lose weight. Yoga to lose weight. Zumba to lose weight. The Stairmaster to lose weight.

I know. We ALL know someone that lost 100 lbs by running. Maybe we saw a YouTube video of someone doing Yoga and the weight falls off.

Those are anecdotal. People win the lottery also. You aren't going to run out and buy a ticket just because some retiree in Iowa just won $160 million....

Please tell me you wouldn't do that?

Your body will quickly get accustomed to what you are doing and it will stop shedding fat and start shedding muscle pretty quick. You must vary what you do!

6. Doing the "circuit" at the gym. This is a hard one. People tell you all the time at the gym to do the circuit. The trainers tell you. Sorry, folks. The circuit at the gym is the opposite of helpful long term.

Here is why.

First you may start shedding some fat and gaining some muscle. You body quickly adjusts and the fat loss will slow. You will gain muscle in a "non functional" way which can lead to injury. When you get injured you aren't as likely to work out. It's a vicious cycle.

You must do free weights and functional movements to lose weight and gain fitness. The circuit is very much like a diet. It look good in the beginning and you will likely get some quick results. In the end is is simple a short term fit for a long term problem. It is the "easy" way out. We all know how taking the easy way out works in the end, right?

7. Counting calories. I can hear the protests now. "But I read in BLAH BLAH magazine.... They said in Weight Watchers..."

Don't get me wrong. Excess calories can be a bad idea.

The reality is that it's not about calories but it is about quality. 

We are doing a program called the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. One of the participants asked me yesterday why there was no "portion sizes" listed on the program. Isn't portion control a problem?

Ask people that are over weight why they are overweight. You will get a variety of answers. I would bet a slice of pizza that NONE of them will say they they were force-fed broccoli and salads growing up.

I would argue that you really can't over eat high quality food. When you count calories you also can find frustration in a number that means nothing. We are all different and trying to figure out what number you need is silly. Nourish yourself if a balanced way and you will lose weight. Period.


8. Letting lame excuses slow you then stop you. We have all seen people get a head of steam and start to lose weight. Then they lose it.

Sometimes it's the lame excuse that we actually let ourselves believe.

"I have a blister."
"I had to work late."
"I didn't have a clean shirt."
"I have no money."
"My knee is sore."
"My back is sore."
"I'm spending to much time away from home." (READ Spousal Sabotage)
"I have a cold."
"My family is in town."
"I had to let the dogs out."

You get the point. Sometimes we have a valid excuses to workout but usually it's pretty lame. Once you accept one excuse it becomes easier to accept others until eventually you forget that you were trying to lose weight all together.

Now do you see shy number one is so important? If your purpose is strong enough....

9. Have unrealistic expectations. Sometimes I'll ask people during a consult what weight they would like to be. I have heard a weight before and asked the follow up questions, "Why that weight?"

Sorry, folks. for most of us over the age of 25 your high school weight is not a good goal. Setting weight loss goals is a GREAT idea but not silly goals. Set mid range goals. Losing 10 lbs in a month is a great goal. Losing 100 pound in a year is a great goal. Getting to same high school weight at 40 is usually not such a great goal.

10. Not understanding the importance of supplementation. As we age it gets harder and harder for our bodies to absorb nutrition. Also, as the years go by the nutrition density of our food is going down down down. These two double whammies are impacting us all. It also means that we NEED supplementation. 

If you want to learn about absorption and supplementation I encourage you to go this here link and watch the 30 minute video. It is the best video out there about the importance of supplementation: https://tomorrowschampion.com/seminar/  (Mark McCoy is a dude that knows a heck of a lot more that I do)

If you aren't using the correct supplements then I definitely thing you should. As you know we use Advocare.

Here is a quick 4 minute video telling you more about the company.

If you want to get started no some products shoot me a quick email with your phone number and I will call you help you get on the right path.

We help people. It's what we do. My email is: rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com and my personal cell number is 352-989-6795. Give me a shout if you want some help. There is no harm is seeing what it is that we can do for you!

As I was compiling this list I did think of others reasons. Hopefully you get the point and I will stop at 10. It really isn't one of the 10 but people really do fail at weight loss simply because they give up. One of the 10 leads to frustration and quitting. Maybe more than one. Maybe all 10.

Tomorrow I will do part two of this article. Part two will be the top 10 things that people to do to successfully lose weight. Make sure to check back tomorrow for that one. You will get a ton of value!

Do you like these articles? Do they make a difference in your life? Maybe there are people out there in your Facebook world that would also need this. Can you please share with them?

We would appreciate that!

The 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge is open for 36 more house. It closes on Tuesday, July 8th at midnight! 

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/30-day-clean-eating-challenge-tickets-12176164235

To your success!

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach 

JOIN OUR TEAM! 

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

352-989-6795

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page 

The 4 Pillars of your workout

Today I want you to take a look at your workout in a different light. Sometimes when you change your perspective you can create BIG changes and BIG results.

You want to get results from your workouts, right?

I want you to get results.

The problem, quite honestly, is that most people don't get good results. The short answer to "why" this is really is simple in my mind. We don't get results because most people don't understand the mindset that it takes to get results. Our expectations are different from out outcomes so we get frustrated and give up. 

So it stand to reason that if we change our thought process and we change our expectations we should have better results. True?

I think so.

Today I am going to focus on one single solitary aspect of the health and fitness paradigm. We are going to look at the actual workout. We are going talk about the 4 pillars of the workout that WILL get you results if you understand how they work.

Many people don't succeed with their health goals because they focus on one thing when they work out. They run, do classes, lift weights, do a circuit or do a sport. 

These are all great things but they ignore the 4 pillars of the workout that I am going to go through in a minute. 

If you want results you will not get them if you just do one activity. Change you expectations here. If you run a lot you will get faster but your fitness will never get to what you want it to be. Again: TRUTH. 

So now I will present to you, in order, the 4 pillars of your workout. You must consistently battle with each of these pillars. When you learn how to do this guess what happens? Yep. You are the one with the abs, the energy and the beach body. 

Teresa works hard so she looks strong and fit! 

PILLAR #1: Your mind and your body. 

When you workout you must push your body. You must tell your body to do what it needs to do to finish what you are doing. 

Sometimes you may feel to tired or winded to go on. This is when the workout counts. This is when it means something. It's called a WORKout. It's not called a COMFORTABLEout. Suck it up and push your body beyond what you think you can do. 

To get results the most important thing is that you us your mind to push your body beyond it's limits. If you give up and give in then you will not succeed. You must push yourself! 

PILLAR #2: The movements. To get truly fit you focus on movements. You do them right first then you add speed. This could bring up the discussion of working "muscles" versus working "movements". 

We will talk about that in another blog post. If you have been following me for any length of time you know that we NEVER work muscles. We ALWAYS work movements. 

With pillar number two you need to battle with the movements. 

Whether it's running, biking, push-ups, squats or bench press you need to go to war with the movements. You don't always need to win but you always need to fight like hell. Don't take short cuts. Fight the movement till the end. 

PILLAR #3: The clock. Your workout is going to have some sort of clock. This could be reps as well. That is a version of a clock. 

Train your mind to do the movements properly for the whole 10 reps. See how this ties together?

Command your mind to, with proper form, do continuous wall bars for the next 30 second till the time runs out. It all goes together. 

Kind of an interesting way to look at your workout, right? 

You fight the clock every time. You fighting with all your heart means you win. Fight to win. 

PILLAR #4: Other people. Check this out. You are running a 5k. There is a half mile to go. You can see the finish line. You are tired but you DECIDE to push to catch some guy (PILLAR #1). You lift your chest up, drive your knees forward and pick up the pace (PILLAR #2). You can see the finish line getting closer. (PILLAR #3) That no-name dude is getting closer to you FIGHT to catch him. (PILLAR #4) 

Sometimes when you are working out with a partner you try to best the he or she in the bench press or rowing 1000m or something. 

Throw down a challenge with another human being and go after it. 

What do you thing SPORTS are? How fun would basketball be if there were only one team?

You use other people to push you because they will. They certainly will! When you are pushed harder then you WORK harder. When you work harder you get better results.

Look, I have muscle now!

So take a look at these 4 "pillars" of your workout. If you aren't getting the results that you want then maybe one of your pillars isn't quite as strong as the other ones. 

Very few people will look at workouts this way. Its goes to reason that very few people are super fit. I wonder if there is a connection. Hmm....

So, if you want to get better results from your workout you need to learn to focus your energy and efforts on working hard, doing the movements properly first while adding weight, speed and reps next, working against the clock and using others to help push you. 

You do this and you will get results. 

Today's post focused on what you do with your body. When you put into your body is just as important. 

There is still time to sign up for out 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. This programs is really going to change a lot of lives. 

For more details: http://yourbestfitnesscoach.blogspot.com/2014/06/30-day-clean-eating-challenge.html

To sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/30-day-clean-eating-challenge-tickets-12176164235

Since we talked about working out today I want to leave you with a quick video that I did a while back. If you are interested in some supplements to help you recover then you owe it to yourself to watch!

CLICK HERE to get yourself some Advocare Post Workout Recovery! 

Do you know anyone that might get a benefit from today's post? If so then we would appreciate it if you shared it. THANK YOU! 

To your success!

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach 

JOIN OUR TEAM! 

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

352-989-6795

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page 

If you are on the treadmill next to me, the answer is yes, we are racing.

Clearly this is one of the best things that I have ever seen on Facebook. Come on. You know it's the truth.

We joke about stuff like this but it is the God's honest truth. If I am on a treadfmill I look around to see who is going the fastest and the farthest and I wage a secret battle against them. I'm sure it would be more challenging if they KNEW that this race to the death was going on....

Whatever. You do what it takes to win.

I remember being in high school oh so many years ago. My coach was a smart dude. He had majored in physiology in college and her knew exactly how to get a bunch of high school kids to lose their lunches out of some no name trail for no reason whatsoever. 

How did he do it? 

He made us race. 

I'm not talking about a ready, set, GO! race. I'm talking about some made up race in his mind where we were all these characters that were real or imagined.

He commentated the race and the finish line was always changing. He called me Steve Spence who at the time was one of the top distance runners in the US. I liked that.

My friend Andy was Russian pole vaulter. 

Goofy, I know. 

We never knew what the race was or where it finished. 

Guess what? It inspired us. It pushed us. It made us work harder than we would have normally because it was interesting and, dare I say, fun. 

It must have worked because we won back to back state titles in Cross Country and set the record for the best ever team score the second year. 

The Russian pole vaulter was our number 5 man.

So how does translate into a fitness tip that makes sense to YOU? 

Compete to win.

I don't mean to beat that dude on the treadmill next you. I mean figure out a way to challenge yourself in your own mind to push yourself. 

When Teresa is at a random gym on trips she LOVES to pick up a heavier weight then the dudes that are there. It's her thing. She likes it. It pushes her.

That is a win. 

When I workout I want to be the first one done or do the most reps. That is my thing. 

Some people look at a programmed workout and want to finish in the time cap. That is how they win. 

This morning in the workout I challenged Chris to keep the rowing pace under 2 minutes per 500 meters. It's a way to compete. It's a win.

If you do a 5k your goal might be to win you are group. It might be to set a personal best or break a time barrier. You might want to win the whole race. 

Your goal is your goal. 

Next time that you workout.... compete! Find a way to challenge yourself and fight for your results. Fight to win. Do your best! 

This morning I did a loop on a local trail. My goal was 15 minutes. I was competing with myself, the clock and the trail 

I call this a win. 

I hope that you got value out of this message. If you did can you please share this blog post on Facebook I would really appreciate it! 

Are you local to Grand Island / Eustis / Tavares / Leesburg / Mount Dora, Florida? If you are my wife and I are hosting a nutritional mixer tonight at 7pm at our home in Grand Island. Stop by if you need some better health or more money. We may be able to help you with one or both. Our address is 2481 Plumadore Dr, Grand Island. Call or email if you need directions! 

You are a champion! 

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach 

JOIN OUR TEAM! 

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

352-989-6795

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page 

5 habits of people with hot bodies

Before I share these habits there has to be a caveat.

What are hot bodies?

I'm not talking about high school kids here. I'm not talking about young people who are genetically gifted with hot bodies. There is nothing you can do about that.

I'm also not talking about the photoshopped anorexic looking models you see in the glossy magazines. That really isn't attainable.

I'm talking about the hotties you see at the beach or at the gym that also look healthy and vibrant.

I'm talking about the people that you see that are normal people but just look damn good when they are showing a lot of skin.

How do they do it?

HABIT #1: They LIMIT intake of fluids that are not water. This means several things. It's doesn't mean they "don't drink" or they "don't have soda". This is not the case often times. Fit people will drink alcohol and an occasional soda. They key is that at night out at the bars is once a month or so and they limit themselves to a drink or two. They may also have an occasional soda but not a six-pack of Coke per day.

PLEASE notice the difference here. I am not saying that is order to be hot looking you need to RESTRICT yourself 100%. What I am saying is that you be hot you need to drink drink mostly water. You won't see the hot body from the beach in the supermarket buying two leaders of Dr. Pepper. It's just not going to happen.

HABIT #2: They have working out as a priority. What does this mean? This means that the hot bodies at the beach just plain workout harder and more consistently than those that don't have the hot bodies. This is 100% truth. The hot bodied people are the ones that FIRST hit the gym then go to the beach. These are the people that ALWAYS have a gym membership and not just in January. It may seem like common sense that to have a hot body you need to work out. Believe me, it is that simple.

To me it's the mindset that matters. The mindset and the focus come first. Once you have it then you get the hot body. It's not other way around. People have hot bodies because they work out constantly. It's not the other way around.

HABIT #3: People that have hot bodies understand that FADS are simply fads and they don't jump from thing to thing. This is a tough one. Some super hot looking people are doing "fad" type of diets and programs. Truth is though that they are doing those things as a way to progress and a way to improve. The hot bodies of the world don't go from flabby to a hottie by the latest and greatest "move at the gym" or "weight loss pill" or "grape cleanse diet".

The hot people at the beach stick to the simple principles of fitness as their foundation. They understand that there are lot's of ways to get fit but no new, latest and greatest breakthrough, alone is going to work long term.

HABIT #4: The people with the hottest bodies worry less about the silly drama that goes on in other lives and focus instead on the good of the world. This is another generalization but is it true in most cases. Stress causes you to gain weight. We all know that. Stress is also perception. Different forms of stress are different levels of stress for most people.

Have you ever seen people on Facebook that say, "I am sick of all the drama on Facebook". Have you also noticed that those people are the ones CAUSING all the drama? I have 1647 friends on Facebook. Guess how much drama I have on my Facebook? Not one bit. Hmmm.... I also look pretty good at the beach.

Coincidence? I think not.

HABIT #5: We don't play the blame game. Those of us with hot beach bodies do the following things and we do them well: We don't MAKE EXCUSES, we TAKE RESPONSIBILITY and we don't BLAME other people for out lot in life.

This is the most important habit. This is the one that makes all the other ones possible. The hotties of the world have figured out that they need to make the right choices. They have figured out that it is their choice to be hot at the beach and to look damn fine in the gym in a tank top. The people with the sexy bodies have drawn a line in the sand and said THIS IS MY BODY. I will mold it the way that I want to mold it. My body is my responsibility and no one else is going to make my body look bad or make my body look good.

It is my choice.

I hope this all makes sense. I'm sure that it wasn't that you were expecting. The glossy magazine and the infomercials and the personal trainer at the gym and your local "latest and greatest program" instructor will tell you that they have the answer and they this is the way to get a hot body.

In reality it's not up to all that external stuff. It's up to you to choice to have the right habits. It's up to you to act with a sense of purpose. It's up to you to create the body that you want. Those that strut by at the beach looking HOT are that way because they made the decision to do it.

Have you made the decision to look hot this summer? Are you ready to redefine the way that you eat? If so then you owe it to yourself to take a look at our "30 Day Clean Eating Challenge".

This is a way to turn yourself into the hottie that want to be. It's up to you though. To learn more about hte program (which begins next week and slots are going fast!): http://yourbestfitnesscoach.blogspot.com/2014/06/30-day-clean-eating-challenge.html

Here is the direct link to register for this phenomenal program. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/30-day-clean-eating-challenge-tickets-12003830781

Did you get value out of today's post? If so then I'm sure that you know people that will also get value. If you could share with them we would really appreciate it!

To your success!

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach 

JOIN OUR TEAM! 

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

352-989-6795

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page 

The Failure Opportunity

I absolutely love this topic.

It is my belief that most of what we do or do not accomplish revolves around our mindset and out DECISIONS. The difference between success and failure is almost always about the way we THINK.

Let me set the stage for you on how this topic came to light for me.

Part of the workout yesterday was a rope climb. Love the rope climb! It is a massive challenge but doable for anybody if your mind is set to accomplish the task!

Coach Katrina KILLING the rope climb! 

If a member couldn't do the rope climb we modified it by letting he or she simply hang. 

Most couldn't get up the rope. A couple did but the rest simple hung for 30 seconds.

Gidget, however, was having none of that. She knew she couldn't climb the rope but she didn't want to be relegated to hanging. Here is her attempt at a rope that she had never before gotten off the ground with: 

Gidget didn't make it up the rope. 

This is a failure. So what now? Does Gidget take this an opportunity to work harder and fight for a goal? Or does she simply quit and say, "It's too hard..."

The results is yet to be determined but my money is on Gidget. 

Today's video message is about how failure is simply an opportunity to make a decision. This is POWERFUL stuff. This message could change your life. Check it out. 

We are super excited for tomorrows webianr. This is going to be BY FAR the most free content that we have ever put our there. In 45 minutes you are going to learn how to eat to: shed fat, gain energy and add lean muscle mass. 

Do not miss this webinar. It's free but space is limited so make sure to RSVP on the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/279038075603927/

Here are the details:

Webinar Wednesday: "How to eat like a CHAMPION"

Wednesday, May 14th, 8pm EST (45 minutes)

On computer: http://join.me/advocareteamcopley 

Dial in for sound: 559-726-1000 code 342621 

Step by step guide of how to eat. No scientific jargon. Just strait forward nuggets from myself and my fantastic wife on WHAT TO EAT. 

If you know anyone that may want to learn how to eat properly to shed fat, gain energy and add lean muscle mass could you share this with them so we can add value to their live. We appreciate that! 

To you health,

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach 

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

352-989-5795

ASM Fitness Facebook page 

PS. Check this out. My wife is going to be part of the webinar on Wednesday at 8pm! Some people may just know her as the super hot and super fit wife BUT...this girl has amazing before and after pics! Check her out! 

What is for breakfast?

Have you ever heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Of course you have. How many people have a healthy breakfast most days? Who cares.

Do you have a healthy breakfast each day? Well you should.

In this article today I am going to talk about what you should be eating for breakfast.

But first lets look at WHY you should eat a healthy breakfast and why we do not.

First of all. Why? Well let's look at the word "breakfast". The first word is "break" and the second part is "fast". First thing in the morning you need to "break" your "fast". Your body needs to heal and rejuvenate itself so we sleep. What happens when we wake? That's right! It's time to get going again. This is why we need food. We need energy to get going!

When we eat a good breakfast we gain energy, we feel better, we feel more motivated, we start cranking up our metabolism and provide the body with the nutrients that it needs to function on all levels.

Sadly many simply have a cup of coffee and a quick hit of sugar and think this is breakfast. It feels good for a while then your body crashes and you are worse off. You are better of not eating then doing this.

So after a long break from food what DOES the body need? It needs QUALITY carbohydrates (energy) and QUALITY protein to help assist the energy for the rest of the day.

Is this a good breakfast?

Sugar and caffeine are going to fire up your adrenals and are going to make you feel pretty up for a while. Will this last? No! What do most people do when they crash an hour or two later? Yep. More coffee. 

Not a wise choice. 

Hoe about this classic breakfast?

Getting better. I love eggs. Bacon I avoid like the plague. A whole another issue from another article.

Why is this not a good breakfast? This is basically nothing but protein. Is this going to give you energy? No. Are you getting the nutrition that your body needs? Some but not what you truly need.

As a general rule of thumb you should eat more carbohydrates (energy) in the morning and more protein (recovery and muscle building) in the evening. 

Sorry. The classic bacon and eggs in not a great breakfast. 

Here is what I LOVE to make and eat at breakfast....

What do you see here. This is an actual picture that I took of a breakfast that I made. It was delicious if I don't say so myself.

What do you see here?

Eggs and turkey bacon. Yes there is protein but notice the fruit? This day it was mango, blueberries and tomatoes. (Tomatoes and botanically a fruit but legally a vegetable. The crazy things you learn over the years as a personal trainer. http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/tomato-fruit-or-vegetable) 

What should you avoid as your first meal? Here are list of things that I would stay away from. Remember you want to eat food in the morning that is as natural as possible to set your body up the right way!

- Milk

- Pastries 

- Candy 

- Bacon

- White bread

- Low grade sugary cereal

What should you eat for breakfast?

First of all, if you say, "I don't have time for a good breakfast..." with all do respect you are a full of crap. Get up 10 minutes earlier. There. You have time!

Simple. High qualify food. Some protein some carbohydrate. Virtually any fruit or vegetable will do for the qualify carb part. For the protein I LOVE eggs and turkey bacon. We have eggs and fruit 75% of mornings in my house. Oatmeal is good also. ALWAYS mix fruit in with the oatmeal. We like to add some Advocare Muscle Gain powder to our oatmeal to give it flavor and add some extra protein. So tasty! 

What if you are going to a workout or are on the go? Bananas are pretty cool because they come in their own little wrapper! Yeah! Try grabbing some almonds to go with your bananas or apple and anything else that you grab on the do! 

Meal replacement shakes can be OK as well. The Advocare Meal Replacement Shake is really good. Be careful with MRS's. MAKE SURE that they are at least 200 calories! You really can't get to many calories at breakfast! 

Let's summarize. 

* When you eat breakfast you feel better, have more energy and set a good example for your family and co-workers to follow. You lose fat and gain muscle. You become a better person. Who does't want that?

* There are no good excuses for skipping breakfast which ironically most Americans do. Most Americans are also overweight and unhealthy. Go figure. 

* The simple step of taking a few minutes to have some eggs or oatmeal and fruit will solve many of the health issues that many of you are having.

This is fact. 

Hope you got some value out of today's blog post. Please share with your friends if you want to help us make a difference in the health of our country. We always appreciate that!

To your continued health! 

Rick Copley, AdvoCare Gold 3-Star Independent Distributor

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

352-989-5795

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page 

A special journey

These are two amazing people who have made an amazing transformation. Meet Michael and Brittany Jean.

Most people that have an amazing weight loss story have a moment of disgust. Mike and Brittany had such a moment a couple of years ago. Here is their story...

A couple of years ago Mike and Britt waited in line for a an hour plus for a roller coaster at Universal Studios. When they got to the head of the line they couldn't get on the ride because, well, Mike was too fat. He looked like this:

They had reached their breaking point. Something had to be done. They got to work eating right and exercising. The pounds didn't just fall off. As a matter of fact they were struggling to lose weight and getting frustrated.

That is when Brittany's friend Cristina encouraged them to give the 24 Day Challenge a try.

They trusted Cristina and Cristina introduced them to Teresa and I. Reluctantly they both got the 24 Day Challenge and got started.

24 days later they set the male and female records on our team for most fat lost during the 24 Day Challenge. Mike lost 26 lbs of fat and Brittany lost 25 lbs of fat. They still hold the records to this day.

To date Mike is down 115 lbs and Brittany is down 50 lbs.

We are so proud of them both. The pictures tell an amazing story but the different in their attitudes is hard to measure but just an profound. They have confidence. They have energy. They are better people and better parents. They are paying off debt and enjoying life a lot more. 

They are an inspiration. Truly...and inspiration.

Do you want to learn more about the program that started the journey for them? Do you have 6 minutes to gain some knowledge that could transform your life or potentially the life of someone that you love? 6 minutes that changed Mike and Brittany's life forever could save your aunt or your mom or your brother...

What did you not see in the video? Well you didn't see that there is professional coaching that goes with AND, if you local to Central Florida you get FREE workouts for up to 2 months. How cool is that?

Don't worry if you are not local. We still coach you up and get you on track.

I hope the transformation of Mike and Brittany inspired you and I hope that you have a name or two of people that you think would benefit from our help. Could you share this with them? They will appreciate you! 

Have a great week!

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

352-989-5795