BodyRock'in in the house ta'nite!

So if you have not discovered BodyRockTV yet through social media... Go check it out! For all the endorsing I do for them, you would think I get paid but alas... I don't. Still on that good ol' teacher salary but hey, at least I get summer's off! BOOM! That just happened.

Ok, so BodyRock... It's completely online and completely FREE to use! OMG, FREE. You log onto their site, download their free iPhone app, friend them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and/or follow them on Instagram... so many facets to utilize! Their workouts typically consist of 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds rest and last approximately 12-15 minutes. That's right, folks... TWELVE to FIFTEEN minutes and WAIT till you see Lisa-Marie and their other BR hosts. Don't be intimated cause it's easy to look at her and say, "Oh my God, I could never look like that!".

I mean, really? I'm jealous. 

Here's the deal: you can't look like that without #1 working out and #2 changing your way of eating. BR works because of the high intensity cardio (even if it's a short amount of time) combined with strength training. BUT if you want to truly embrace a healthy lifestyle and trim more fat than a high school boy's swim team... You HAVE to reevaluate what you put into your body.

I read a book recently written by Tosca Reno called the Eat Clean Diet which has helped me understand more of the philosophy of BodyRock as well as what our human eating habits really should be to maximize our metabolism and general health. In her book, Tosca talks about eating 5-6 small meals a day and discusses proper portion sizes when you eat 6 times a day. She lays everything out in a way that s easy to understand and even provides a sample meal plan and grocery list of staples to have in the house. Here are some of the benefits I have noticed with eating more than 3 times a day:

Endorphins, get some.

1. My blood sugar isn't dropping so I am more alert, less cranky and less dizzy! (I could have sworn I was hypoglycemic before and TRUST me when I say I used to get CRANKY when I was hungry!!!) 
2. I am making better food choices than I was before because I understand more about what I am putting in my system. When I skip junk food, I don't feel deprived... I feel empowered! 
3. When I do eat something that's not necessarily "clean", I don't enjoy it as much as I remember. For instance, I had some pizza last night and I ate MAYBE four bites before I was like, "Ew, it's so greasy."
4. This is more to do with the working out aspect: I may hate the workout on some days BUT the feeling of accomplishment I have when I am dripping sweat and red in the face when I have finished is awesome. It's true what they say, "You're only one workout away from a good mood." PS. Exercise releases endorphins which is the best antidepressant! Get some! 
5. Um, I get to eat MORE! For a foodie like me, it's like heaven! 

I used to think, no matter what I eat, as long as I workout I will be fine. This statement couldn't be more false. Turns out, what we eat even when we're younger and our metabolism is higher can build the foundation of unhealthy things such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc. If it's not found in nature, chances are there's stuff in what you're eating that is not good for you. I choose to be fit and firm. I don't want to be cranky and "squishy". 

Think. Work. Achieve. The choice is yours.