Why learn the cLean Diet™? Because it’s Way of Life, Not a Quick Fad, People!

Here’s the Deal. When I Talk About a cLean Diet™, I’m Not Talking About Washing your Fruit.

Every Spring when I used to think about how I was going to strut around the pool in my bikini, the first word that came to mind was DIET – and what popped into my head was a list of things not to eat.

If that sounds familiar, then wake up people! Let’s be clear – “dieting” is the fastest way to the cookie jar of rebellion!

A cLean Diet is a way of life and a new perspective on eating.

Eat to Live… Don’t Live to Eat!

The first thing I did to change this pattern of thinking was to eat before I got hungry. I’m not talking about shoving a ton of food in my mouth every 5 minutes. What I’m talking about is watching the clock, and if its been over 2 hours, I’ll eat a handful of raw almonds or string cheese. That way I’m set and I don’t have to think about the inevitable cravings that come from dieting.

I also hate drinking water, so I came up with a drink of my very own!

I put a lemon in my large water bottle with a dash of Splenda. Eventually I lessened the amount of sweetener , and now all I need is the lemon. Now I have a chemical-free, natural drink!

I’ll be continually posting eating tips and recipes for you to check out.

And remember… you can still have the cookie or the chocolate, but don’t eat the entire box! Moderation is the key, and if that doesn’t work for ya, try duct tape!

Burn fat while you do your laundry. Here’s how!

Who actually LIKES to do laundry?

Let’s be honest – there’s nothing fun about washing clothes. I used to be the worst – I’d wait until I had 14 loads piled to the ceiling before I was ready to face that washing machine, which succeeded more in stressing me out (and reinforcing how much I hated doing laundry) than in actually getting the job done.
One day I decided to try something different starting with this very simple idea: I do a little bit every day (don’t forget – Less is More!!).
Things really clicked when I built a workout routine around it and did it every morning at the same time (Secret: I like to watch Regis and Kelly or throw on some 80’s Music to get going)!

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Here is my cLEAN Laundry Routine:

• After I take the clothes out of the dryer, I put them on a table (time to crank up the TV or some tunes!).

• While sorting out the clothes, I’ll engage my tummy muscles and pull up, then I’ll balance on one leg as I do endless amounts of leg kicks to the back and side – try to do at least 15 -20 on each leg.

• Throw in some squats as you fold the towels or clothes, and lunge your way into your kids rooms or hall closets to put your clothes away!

• I also take advantage of my empty detergent bottles by filling them with 3 lbs. of water and using them as weights.

For the flabby back part of your arm

• Keep your arm next to your side and kick it back 10 times on each side – do 3 sets of 10.

Remember your posture. Stand tall, pull up, and engage your tummy.

Good luck ! Let me know how it works for you and watch for the video soon!

Wake up and tap into your life. Do it before it’s over. Here’s how.

I have to tell you…

It’s all about brain power! I found that if you go on autopilot throughout your day to day life, You don’t really get anything done.

The first thing I focused on was being present – being in the here and now.

So much of the time I would occupy my brain with nonsense, which kept me from focusing on what’s really important!

Once I replaced my brain chatter and actually started to pay attention to what was going on around me I really started to enjoy life!

The point I’m trying to make here, without trying to sound like a self help book, is once I got my brain screwed on the right way, I was able to accomplish a lot more.

Sooooo… if you want to start this program, screw your brain on the right way and bring on the life changes!!

Hope that’s helpful!

- C

Look 10-15 lbs. thinner in one minute!

Posture the most important thing I have to say when starting this program! It’s amazing how standing straight, with your shoulders down and tummy engaged can change your appearance drastically, as well as your life.

Changing your posture will:

- make you look at least 10 lbs lighter instantly

-gives  you more confidence

-change your look dramatically

- help you move with intention behind it

-strengthen your tummy muscles

-strengthen your lower back and neck!

Having been a dancer for many years, good posture was beaten into my brain at a young age.

I must say, as an adult I truly see the value of it. Being aware of the importance of good posture, makes  me very aware of those who slouch. (I secretly want to shove a pole up their ass. can you believe I admitted that?)

Here is the deal people… stand up straight before I find you and do it. Seriously, I can’t tell you how this will change you.

When starting this program, it’s imperative that you hop on the ” pole up your butt” train. You won’t go very far  with your belly hanging out and your tush wiggling around while you do your dishes.

If you

-stand straight

-engage your tummy muscles

- keep your shoulders down

This will really maximize your work out,  giving you the best results.

Practice this concept in  your day to day life, whether it’s going to work, going for an interview,at the market or playing with your kids. Take notice on how different you feel, does your back feel better, is your tummy starting to get tighter?

Let me know what you think… Would love to hear what your thought’s are or if it’s had an impact on you. (It did for Jesse,  my new friend from CVS)

Talk soon,

c-

P.S. If you change this habit now you can avoid the down falls to come!

Change your habits, see results fast!

Look, let’s face it… we are all born with certain body types and I’m the first one to say… “Heidi Klum, I am not!”

Having said that, by committing to this slightly off the wall program of how I incorporate housecleaning with exercise, as well as changing some eating habits like, lowering the amount of crap you shove in your mouth, (an Oreo now and then is ok), I truly believe you will change your body. Remember it’s the body you were born with. So don’t have expectations that are not part of your gene pool.

Remember you want to make the best you!

1) Change your posture! This is the biggest bonus! Just by standing up tall and engaging your tummy muscles, you’ll immediately look like you’ve lost 10 pounds. You’ll also alleviate pressure from your neck and lower back relieving you from daily pain.

2) Start your day with your work out shoes on. Are you really going anywhere shmancy? (Unless you work and have to..) By doing this, you’ll naturally walk faster and with purpose

3) If you are home, turn your T.V. off! (Unless you’re catching up with last nights episode of nip tuck.)Instead, blast your favorite music, this will automatically put you in a better mood, and bring your energy up. (My personal fav is an eclectic mix 1980’s. Duran, Duran brings me back to my glorious days of high school when I had endless energy and the drive to look fabulous for Ken Fry, my “Jake Ryan.”)

4) Get into the habit of parking in the farthest spot when running errands. However, if you are wearing cute shoes, forget it.

5) Wear work out shoes to the mall, (and put a cute pair of shoes in a bag to try on your clothes.) then you can go for that extra lap or two before you hit your favorite store.

6) Before going out to dinner or lunch… fill up on healthy fiber, like a small Fuji apple. Spread a little peanut butter. The fat in the peanut butter will fill you up so you don’t load up on the bread basket!

7) If you have stairs in your house, use them! A lot!

Keep healthy, easy to grab foods for you and your kids. I keep cut up fruit or veggies in a bowel so I can grab a handful for a quick snack, (veggies With a little light ranch dressing (Nancy’s kitchen ranch is sooooo yummy.) It will fill you up instead of shoving the rest of your kids Goldfish into your mouth.

Start here… more to come.

Let me know if you have any tips and I’ll post them!

Take control! Your Kids are a Mess, your Husband’s a Slob and You’re MAXXED OUT! What are you going to do about it?!

These are my kids… “Gotta love ‘em!”

They are my delicious mess makers and, sometimes, my little petri dishes – for all the germ breeding they do. I am constantly picking up after them and my husband (don’t get me started on him)!

As it happened, one day, instead of getting resentful and beating my head against a wall for the umpteenth time while I cleaned up after them, I went and put a work out routine together. Now I feel I’m doing something for myself.

I often felt that I was at the mercy of the clock, as I tried to accomplish a multitude of things, (exercise being one of them.)

When my alarm clock went off, I found that little was accomplished and a system needed to be found.

“Getting lean while you clean”, became a way of life for me.

By incorporating basic strengthening exercises to my daily household chores, I was really able to get the extra baby weight off, tone up and have some left over ME time.

I took the “ME” one step further. Like most of us mommy’s, we lose our sense of self. Once I felt good about by body again, I slowly began to incorporate the “ME”, back into my life.

• I learned about eating properly, and fueling myself throughout the day.
• I learned how to engage with my kids in a more productive way.
• I learned how to take care of myself.
• Mostly, I learned how important ME time was.

I worked out a way to:

• Warm up my body while I pick up random crap around the house, (a crayon doesn’t belong in the drawer with the forks and knives.)
• Clean my dishes while toning my tush. Dishes pile up endlessly in my house. Now, between sippy cups around the house and coffee cups left by the computer, doing the dishes have turned into the Brazilian butt burn!
• Work a routine around doing laundry. Did I tell you I hate laundry? It really pisses me off to have to do it. At least I finally found a way to do the laundry and get a work-out.
• Tone my arms while cleaning my countertops. I discovered the most amazing thing for my arms while I do my counter tops that I so have to share you.  I nostalgically call it Wax-on/Wax-off. It really works wonders, in isolating the muscles in your core, arms and thighs while you clean your counter tops!

Cheers to finding balance and finding your “ME”.

-C-

How to motivate yourself, an easy solution!

Staying motivated is a mindset and a change in attitude.

It’s easy to tell yourself that you haven’t got the time or that you’re tired. Stop it!

If you are not used to working out and this is all new for you then start slowly.

Look, I get it. We all juggle hundreds of tasks a day and exhaust ourselves, but enough of the pity party – its time to care of yourself!

Welcome to multitasking. Now you can fit a workout into your day (Every little bit you do for yourself counts!) and if you don’t have time, ha!… there are no more excuses!

Staying motivated

That’s a tricky beast. Try following this simple rule: Commit to something new for two weeks (keep track – it really helps). Before you know it, you’ve created a new habit!

Lisa’s story

We as moms (and all people for that matter) are worth the investment in taking care of ourselves. My girlfriend Lisa would always bitch to me how about she hated her thighs, hated her hair – you name it she would bitch about it. I finally said, “Then do something about it!”- in a kind and loving way, of course.

She told me that she had been stuck in this negative rut for years and she knows what to do, but starting was the hard part (isn’t it always??).

It made me think that this went a lot deeper, so we got to talking about the root of where she was coming from. Lisa told me that she felt frustrated with herself for “letting herself go.” She also felt the fear of failure. What if she tries a diet and can’t stick to it? Or what if she loses weight but still isn’t thrilled with herself?

After listening to what she had to say, I suggested a couple of things.

First I told her to start slowly and avoid overwhelming herself with major changes all at once. This allows you to make new habits for yourself that you can stick with (and are life changing) as opposed to a month of hell that makes you want to give up.

Next, take a look at what you eat on a daily basis and try to make healthy food choices.

Then, work on your posture! The list goes on…

Once you make these small changes, you will be motivated to continue on this path to making the best you!

Here are Some Things that Help Keep Me Motivated and Have Really Changed My Life!

• Every morning if I am not going anywhere fun or fabulous, I put on my workout shoes and pants. This helps remind me to be active through out the day.

• I used to have the TV on in the background, but I switched it to music. I love 80s music – bopping around to Duran Duran or Prince makes me happy.

• I make sure to eat healthy foods regularly throughout the day instead of crashing and eating my kid’s bag of carbohydrates.

• I used to hate water, but it’s really good for you, so I got in the habit (it took me 14 days of putting lemon juice in it). Now I sip it all day long!

• I don’t by garbage at the grocery store. If it’s not in the house, I can’t eat it. If you want to have a stash of your favorite cookies, have only one – you have to allow yourself to indulge sometimes:)
  

• I  have at least one naughty thing to eat several times a week, but I make it small. That will help you not focus on what you can’t have and it lets me rebel!
  

• I start one new exercise every two weeks and slowly build up. This way I’m always starting something new and keeping it fresh.
  

That’s it for now.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions on what helps you stay motivated, I’d love to hear!

-C

Learn “The Rag Drag™” now! It will change your body and your kitchen floors!

• Learn How to Maximize Your Time While Getting a Full Body Workout!

• Strengthen and Tighten Your Abs and Lower Back!

• Get Rid of Your Jiggly Thighs!
  

• Do It All While You Multitask and Get Things Done!!!!

I want to share a fun sample from my program that I call “The Rag Drag™“.

This is the main cardio part of my routine that will really strengthen, tighten, and tone the inner and outer parts of your thighs while elevating your heart rate as you work around your house. If you are going to clean – YUCK – you might as well get something more out of it!

I came up with “The Rag Drag™“ while wiping up orange juice off the floor with my foot on a rag. I thought to myself, “Oooh, I really felt a good burn in the tush!” and that was the beginning of a routine I could use not only while I’m cleaning floors, but even while I’m doing dishes or folding laundry (I know I’m insane)!!

Here’s what you do:

Step 1. Take two damp rags (or your husband’s old shirt that’s been sitting under the couch for a month) and place one under each foot. If you are cleaning your floors, add a little bit of soap to the water and ring out. For hardwoods, use whatever oil you like, but not too much (I don’t want you to slip and fall).

Step 2. Get into a plié position (it’s a ballet term defined as a bending of the knees outward with the back held straight) with your rags under each foot and your feet faced forward, knees slightly bent, and tummy muscles engaged.

Step 3. Slide your left foot out and bring it back to the right five times.

Step 4. Now slide your right foot out and bring it back to the left five times.

Note: A huge part of this routine is learning how to keep your upper body limber and relaxed with loose arms so that you can create working hands that can cook, wash dishes or fold laundry while you are burning off those love handles and thunder thighs.

If you are just doing your floors, you can either put your hands on your hips or extend them and do tight circles for an extra burn.

What About Carpets?

Well what about them? If you have carpet somewhere that you want to do this routine, simply put two grocery bags over your feet just like they’re a pair of manolos and slide back and forth easily while you fold your laundry or multitask!

Quick, smart breakfast choices.

Breakfast is an essential part of your diet

Having said that, sometimes coffee with my hazelnut creamer is the only thing I can stomach. However, by 9:30 I need some real fuel to avoid hitting that wall!

Here are Some Quick Breakfast Tips:

• Good old dependable cereal. I eat whole grain shredded wheat cereal, high in fiber and low in sugar. Add a little bit of low fat, organic milk and flax seed (high in fiber and actually tastes yummy).

• A handful of blueberries and a fist full of raw almonds go far!

• Gotta love a fuji apple and string cheese.

If you want to cook:

• Make an egg white (or use one yolk) omelet. I add a ton of veggies and some cheese.

These are all great options that fuel your body, fill you up, and help you avoid the bagel and cream cheese carb and calorie-fest!

Quick, Healthy, “Grab Me” Foods

Fuel Your Body Throughout the Day to Avoid the Crap You Crave When You’re Starving!

Sometimes when you’re on the go you don’t always have the chance to eat the way you really should. A great way to control your cravings is to make sure to carry around easy “grab me” snacks that are small in size but high in quality.

For example, in my purse you’ll always find a baggy of raw almonds (with some yummy raisins thrown in). I don’t need to eat the entire bag, but if I’m trapped on the freeway and I’m starving its a fabulous way to curb the hunger, and almonds are a great source of omega 3.

Here are a few “grab-me” snacks that will keep you going and stop you from from heading to the drive-through:

• 1 large apple with a shmeer of peanut butter to dip into – delicious!

• Some string cheese with 5 crackers or rye crisps – this will really boost your energy level!

• Peeled baby carrots and a side of ranch (Nancy’s Kitchen Ranch Dressing is  soooo good and low in fat)!

• Sugar snap peas with Nancy’s Ranch. These are good when you mindlessly want to chomp on something (without paying attention to how much you’re eating) while watching, say, Oprah!

• For something sweet, I love hot cocoa (sugar free). It really curbs the sweet tooth and is low in fat and calories.

• A cup of blueberries is a great choice and higher in antioxidants and vitamins than almost any other fruit!

• Cucumbers are great. I sometimes eat an entire cucumber and dip it in ranch dressing – plus it gives my mouth something to do besides yacking (and it curbs those salty cravings).

• Trader Joe’s “No Yolk”  Egg Salad and rye crisps. Yummy and easy.

• Sliced strawberries and low fat whipped cream – my kids think this is the greatest dessert!

• A portioned-controlled handful of pretzels and cream cheese. Yum!

• For mindless snacking choices when you are say on a long drive, try sunflower seeds.

If you never allow yourself to indulge, you will rebel with a vengeance!

Instead give yourself the treat, enjoy it, without eating the entire bag. It’s OK to have that Oreo or piece of chocolate.

Substitute your cravings with one of the above choices and then do something indulgent for yourself, like taking a hot bath or get a pedicure.

Remember its your body, its your choice!