3 Proven Tips for Inch Loss

I read an excellent article on the importance of environment, awareness & action over knowledge. 

I’m sharing 3 important take-away’s that could lead to your own inch loss! 

1. Knowledge doesn’t always transfer into action.  We can be schooled on nutrition, health and fitness, but if we’re not taking action to do the work required to see results to improve our health and fitness, that knowledge isn’t helping our situation.  The article stated sometimes people mistake knowledge as the most important indicator of success.  Take-away:  ACTION is the more important indicator of reaching results!

2.  Environment plays a larger factor than willpower & knowledge.  You can have the most determined person in the world, but if that person is in an environment that doesn’t support your goal, that you’ll have a hard time succeeding.

Examples:  

Plate size matters.  You mean to eat less, but you want to fill your plate so it looks like you’re getting a good amount of food.  Fact: By having smaller plates, you can fill your plate and consume less calories without even thinking about it!  Establish which plate you can begin using to help you hit your goal!  If you don’t have one in your home, buy one this week!

Dish out and prep serving sizes.  Fact: When you portion out your food, you’re less likely to mindlessly consume more than you mean to eat.  

Portion out everything that you can!  Get out snack-size baggies to fill with your chips , pretzels, cookies, crackers, popcorn, etc. Even do this with your healthier foods such as carrots, celery, grape tomatoes, raw almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, etc. 

3.  Awareness is more important than knowledge. You can know every nutrient in food, know how many calories are in foods, but if you’re not aware of the amounts you’re actually eating, that knowledge can’t help you reach your goal.  

How can you have awareness? 

In my BodyGym Challenge we track points for 7 simple strategies and our point total is based on how well we do them.  This gives us the AWARENESS of where we need to do better or why we’re doing so great.  

Tracking our actions and daily accountability through my online private Facebook challenge leads to weekly results! Who doesn’t want to see success on a weekly basis?!?!?

Implement these three concepts to create your own success. Better yet, let me help take some of the guess work out of it and join me THIS WEEKEND in the next BodyGym Challenge to start experiencing results!

I’m offering a $10 discount to anyone who signs up before Saturday, June 6.  Message me if you’d like that discount vs. signing up on my website!  

I’m excited to make June a month of progress & success!

You can read more details at www.mindybuxton.com.

Accountability Determines Your Success!

Thank you to all who attended my BodyJoy Wellness Retreat at La Costa Resort a few weeks ago.  It was a fabulous weekend of celebrating the 3 main BodyJoy principles: Mind, Movement & Meals.  These principles are the foundation of my book and have turned into the successfully proven strategies I use in my Online BodyJoy Slim Down Challenges.  

Now that we’re heading into the heart of the holidays be sure to create a solid game plan and way to hold yourself accountable so you avoid the typical 7lb. gain between Halloween and New Years.  

Do you have a Halloween game plan?  Will you limit your celebration to just 1 day?  What's your plan for keeping your environment full of foods that give you results?  Where will you store all that Halloween candy come Nov. 1 so it doesn't find it's way into your mouth every time you look at it?

If you do great at making your game plan, but then after one week give up on it because you haven’t stuck to it the way you hoped---you're a perfect candidate for my Holiday BodyJoy Slim Down Challenge.  Take the stress off yourself and let me coach you to a successful, healthy body while you celebrate this holiday season!

Starting Monday, Nov. 6 my group will spend 6 weeks checking in daily to the private Facebook feed which has a meal strategy that keeps you full and off sugar because you’ll be eating foods that not only kill those cravings but satisfy you mentality.  

Why will you be so satisfied?   Because it’s not DIETY, no-calorie foods!  You get real food, real flavor, really simple!  I have recipes, a Thanksgiving menu, workouts and best of all, you get to customize the strategies to YOU and what YOU love and what YOU know gives YOU results! 

The daily check-in is THE greatest factor to keeping you on track.  My community of participants shares tips, tricks, meal pictures, food suggestions and support for when you need it most.   Participants are from all over the states, not just from Utah where I live!  

It’s not your ability that determines success; it’s your accountability that determines success!  This is why most of my online participants are going on several years of either maintaining their lost inches and fat or continually dropping inches and fat.  They are accountable to me and this awesome support group on a DAILY basis.  It's simple but so important to achieving results!

All of us need assistance on our fitness path.  Even trainers use trainers to keep us accountable and on track to improving.  There’s no shame in needing accountability or someone to help keep you moving in the right direction.  We’re in this together and I’d love to personally work with you!

Join me to end 2017 on a success!  You’ll be so empowered knowing that if you can drop inches and fat during the holidays, you can do it any time of year!  Registration closes November 2.  The group goes live that weekend and we begin tracking Monday, Nov. 6.   If you have any questions about the Challenge, you can watch an informative video and register at www.mindybuxton.com.  

Here's to a fit and fabulous holiday season!

Tip #3 of Top 3

The past few weeks I've shared my top 3 tips in fitness since I turned 43 in April.  

1.  You're never stuck where you're at; your body can always improve!

2. If you only have one choice for exercise, choose strength training! 

And #3 is...

Focus on progress, not perfection!  This is the most important tip I constantly remind my clients and my challenge participants.  Perfection is so deceptive.  It's an unattainable state yet we're constantly expecting it of ourselves; especially when it comes to a fitness or food program.  

We all know this, but I think we forget so let me remind you...nobody is perfect, there is no perfect eating or workout plan and YOU don't have to be perfect to get results.  Perfectionism leads to self defeating thoughts, actions and literally prevents people from hitting their goal.  Focusing on perfect eating, exercise or any other area of life is a sure way to experience discouragement, frustration and unsupportive behaviors.

Try this...let go of perfectionism and replace it with progress instead.   Progress gives you so many opportunities to succeed because it isn't about only one option like perfectionism.  Progress can be made daily, at any moment and can keep your willpower and motivation strong since you have limitless opportunities to experience progress.

I love watching people change from a perfectionist mindset to being progress focused.  They're able to continue moving forward with their goals because they know one unhealthy decision isn't the end of the world or doesn't mean they're "off" their program now.  

There's hope in progress and that hope leads to more positive choices so you can actually experience joy while you're on the journey to hitting your goal vs. waiting to be happy once you achieve it.  It's possible to have the best of both worlds if progress is your driving force.

This is a simple but important concept to implement!  If you've experienced self-defeating moments of giving up on yourself because perfection has been your measuring stick, I have a challenge for you!  Give it one week---pay attention to all the little moments you experience progress (drinking water, walking more, getting in a workout, eating 1 vegetable, etc.) and see how that changes your actions.  

When you change your mindset, your body will follow.  I look forward to hearing about your progress as you continue on your personal fitness journey!  

Please share this on your Facebook page if you think it can help others with their fitness goals!  There's room for all of us to succeed!

June BodyJoy Slim Down Challenge

My June BodyJoy Slim Down Challenge begins Monday, June 5.  Space is almost full so register at www.mindybuxton.com by clicking the sign up button.  I have a wait list for the next 2 challenges, if you'd like to be added email me at mindy@mindybuxton.com.  I have an online only and live workouts option!  

An example of one participant's progress...congratulations Marie!

Tip #2 of Top 3 for 43!

Number two of my 3 Best Tips series is Strength Train!  If you only have time for one type of exercise, do Strength Training!   Did you know your metabolism shifts in springtime and is managed by the hypothalamus, which is the brain region that chooses where energy should go and how much? In spring, energy supplies are sent to the more active areas of the body like the muscles, so this is a great time to devote yourself to strength exercises. 

Strength training can increase how many calories you burn at rest, it helps you shrink inches, it strengthens you inside and out and can even help you get a cardio burn if done with little rest.

It’s the best return on your time spent exercising and can be done anytime, anywhere with just body weight.  My favorites are push ups (you can do them off a wall or floor), squats, lunges, triceps dips (off floor or a chair), planks and lunges. 

I challenge you to get in these exercises at least 2 times in your day over the next few days so you can feel the positive benefits.  Do them in the middle of your day when you hit a slump, Do them when you think you’re hungry to distract you from eating out of habit.  Do them outside or in the office or kitchen.  There’s no need to even change into workout clothes—just start and do as many reps as you can at the times of day which work for you!

Know that small bouts of exercise like these few strength moves will help you look and feel your best.  That’s what BodyJoy is all about!

Registration for the May BodyJoy Slim Down Closes Friday, April 28!

"Fun Fact: I was not loving how tight my jeans were today, until I realized I had thrown on the smaller size I couldn't wear last month. That was better than finding $20 in my pocket."

Gwen S., BodyJoy Slim Down Challenge Participant

Don’t forget to register for my May BodyJoy Slim Down challenge!  Registration is closing so the information can go out to participants to get YOU ready for Monday’s start date.  www.mindybuxton.com

Elevating Your Treats

My online BodyJoy Slim Down Challenge includes 7 simple strategies. I don't believe in extreme rules or restrictions, just smart concepts that've been proven to help you hit your goal.  One strategy I focus on is eliminating processed sugar & artificial sweeteners.  I encourage participants to aim for 6 or less grams of sugar so they can eat it more mindfully.  We avoid sugar alcohols and look for stevia, monk fruit extract or other fruit as a smart alternative.

Use these tips taken from my  Recipe E-Book.  

Make your own homemade ice cream by doing ½ the sugar amount the recipe calls for. Use coconut sugar rather than white sugar. You'll love the flavor it adds not to mention the nutrients!

Try using in-season fresh fruit chopped or sliced as a simple, fast, delicious dessert.  Think fruit bowl once in a while!

I enjoy slicing fresh apples or pears in a bowl.  I sprinkle them with cinnamon and a little Silver Fern Brand vanilla protein powder, adda bit of vanilla or almond extract and microwave for 2 minutes.  Sometimes I add just a pinch of sea salt.  You can drizzle melted peanut butter, sprinkle with chocolate protein powder or melt a little chocolate over yours as well.  That leads me to my favorite option...chocolate!

Sometimes we just need a taste of something intense to get satisfaction.  Think quality of flavor vs. quantity!  I love great quality chocolate such as Cenavi Chocolate Bark or the Theo Organic Mint Chocolate bar.  Just a piece or two can satisfy my craving for something sweet.  

You have to try the Cranberry, Blueberry & Ginger Cenavi bark!  It's my absolute favorite.  I love how I don't even need a full serving, just a small piece to get the sweet fix I need so I can keep my cravings under control. I love that these barks have probiotics and fiber in them but taste like "regular" chocolate.  They offer 3 delicious flavors!  Treats should be savored with each taste and enjoyed without guilt, right?!?!

When you ELEVATE your idea of treats, you find you can enjoy them without sacrificing your goals.  Remember it's not about perfection, deprivation, or being extreme. There's room for treats in moderation.  

Through the month of January, use the coupon code SIlverFern10 for a discount on any protein powder or chocolate bark items found by clicking the chocolate above. I bet these chocolate barks will become your new favorite!  I've added a link to my website on the bottom right  just to make it  easier for you to find.  Watch for my upcoming FaceBook LIVE for more ELEVATED treat ideas!

Here Comes the Holidays!

Greetings Fitness Friends,

Holiday mode is upon us---yikes!  I don’t want you feeling overwhelmed about how to balance the season with your health & fitness, so here’s a few simple tips.

Move the Halloween candy and processed foods out of site.  Stick them in a drawer or cabinet you rarely open, on top of the fridge, or out in your garage if you find yourself mindlessly nibbling!  

Get outdoors for just 5-minute increments whenever you can.  Walk to the neighbors rather than call, go outside and walk around your office or block 2-3 times a day, park at the far end of the parking lot to get a few more minutes in the fresh air.  Any opportunities you have, get outdoors for some fresh air even if it's just for a short amount of time.

Keep your focus on simple strength training.  This month I’ve implemented the “Thankful 30” with my Holiday BodyJoy Slim Down Challenge.  3 days a week pick at least 3 exercises and do 30 repetitions of each.  If you have time, repeat them 2-3 times through.  Do them either all at once or spread them out in your day.  Just make sure you get them in.  If you don’t have a BodyGym, just do bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, or lunges.  

Remember that every healthy choice you make will add up.  Keep movement and eating simple and this way you’ll be able to balance taking care of your health and managing the festivities as we kick off this fun but busy season.

Your Fitness & Food Coach,

Mindy