FITNESS GIVEAWAY

I'm so excited to be doing my first GIVEAWAY!!!

I know how much us Mama's LOVE free stuff.

Up for grabs is a CAP ANTI-BURST FITNESS BALL (Valued at $20)

This Blue 65 cm Fitness Ball will include the pump and a workout instruction sheet illustrating exercises that will help maximize your workout.

Fitness Balls are effective in building core strength and improve stability.

It is suitable for ALL fitness levels.

It will help tone and tighten your body, and tighten your thighs, lower back and abs through core training.

Some of my favorite workouts are on this ball are targeting my core, and hamstrings with it, as well as pushups, like the picture shown below.

To Enter:

1st: Tell me why you would love this ball

2nd: Also, add Top Secret Mama to your blog favorites

To enter twice:

Post about this giveaway on your blog so we can get as many mom's in on this secret as we can!

As well as the above instructions.

*Giveaway end Thurs. Feb 4th at midnight. Winner will be announced Friday morning!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

COUNTING CALORIES=WEIGHT LOSS

Some people may be wondering what the purpose of Calorie Counting is.

Why exactly would you want to see your food's nutrition facts?
Why would anyone want to count calories?

Well, I'll tell you why.
People count calories and pay attention to the nutrition facts of foods because they care about their diet, their weight, their body and their health. That's why!!

See, the single most important factor in getting your weight to do exactly what you want it to do is calorie intake. Not fat, not carbs, not certain foods. It's calories.

Whether your goal is weight loss, weight gain or just maintaining your current weight, the one factor playing the biggest role in making this happen is the number of calories you are eating. This isn't an opinion or a diet fad. This is the proven science of the human body.

Counting calories is the expert-recommended key to controlling your weight, and a Calorie Counter gives you all of the information you'll need to do just that.

What's that? You're not interested in your weight? OK then, how about your health? Just how healthy (or unhealthy) is your diet?
I only ask because, after genetics, the foods you eat and don't eat, play quite possibly the largest role in your health.
For example, how's your fat intake? Is it high in the unhealthy fats that CAUSE heart disease, or is it low in the healthy fats that PREVENT it?
What about your protein and carb intake? And cholesterol and sodium? And fiber, vitamins, and minerals?
I know I know, It probably is sounding very overwhelming for me to ask you all that! Especially if you don't know anything about it, or where to start...This is the TIME and this is the EASIEST way to start by using a calorie counter. It virtually gives you every food you are wanting to know the carolie amount of.
Lets keep going...
Are you eating the healthy foods that contain what your body needs, or are you eating the unhealthy foods that contain the things that will only make you less healthy?

Knowing the nutrition facts of the foods you eat is the only way to ensure that you are eating a healthy diet, and a Calorie Counter gives you all of the information you'll need to do just that.

So, are you convinced that you should count calories?
Are you convinced that you should pay attention to the additional nutrition facts of your food? Are you convinced that doing so is the key to not only improving your weight, but improving your overall health in general?

Good!
All that's left for you to do now is use a Calorie Counter to search for your food, see its full nutrition facts, and use this information to improve your diet, your weight,
your body, and your health... for free.
This will be the easiest way to start, because once you get an idea of what is in the food's you are CHOOSING to eat, it will soon become a way of life.

This CalorieCounter I refer to ALL the time, it will give you any food item you are looking for (including specific restaurant meals, and fast food)

Many of you have been asking if I know of any healthy recipes for all kinds of eating...YES!!! A site I'm religious to when I'm cooking is
Calorie King's site, it has ALL the recipes I'm looking for that are healthy, and show me how many calories, fat, carbs, etc. are in each meal! And guess what? They even have healthy meals for children...don't you love that?! I sure do!

Here's what to do:
Depending on your weight, if you are wanting to lose weight, the best goal would be to maintain a healthy calorie intake of a max of 1600 calories a day. That's about 4,
400 calorie meals.
You can mix up the intake however you like, but to start noticing in a week or two's difference on your weight change, I'm telling ya,
maintain the 1600 calories or less and you will see a huge change quickly!

It is a healthy calorie intake. Instead of saying well I can eat WHATEVER, stuff like, cafe rio salad (about 1650 calories) or a Wendy's Chicken Sandwich (about 500 calories) or all sorts of candy...as long as I stay at 1600 cal's.

Why not say, I'm going to fill my day with healthy foods like, raw greens (cucumbers, green peppers, celery, those are all 0 calories) I could snack on that all day.
Than fill my meals with high protein foods like:
fish, (tuna, salmon, halibut) chicken, steak, eggs, cottage cheese, turkey.
Eat the right fruits that aren't too sugary like apples, blueberries, bananas.
Limit your seasoning intake (salt, dressings, sauces)
And just say NO to unnecessary carbs (white bread, desserts)
And definately no to saturated fats, and processed foods!!
Look at the Labels ladies, if it has higher amounts of carbs and fat than protein....
Don't eat it!

I maintain my Diet at about 1000 calories a day, but that's all my body needs, and its because I'm usually filling my stomach with low calorie foods all day, but that I feel full because I'm snacking all day. My body is constantly working and working off. My metabolism works faster.
Do what feels best for you, obviously though, do not make it easy for you. Of course its going to be hard!
Ever notice that all those lose weight quick schemes never work??? Because they DON'T!!!
You have to WORK for it, this is just a way of life. We live in a world now where we want exactly what we want immediately, Its not going to happen overnight!!
You have to commit and change your lifestyle completely. Those get thin quick may change your body for a minute...But not in the long run, and that's what we're going for!

Workout Videos

The great thing about working out at home are the exercise videos available to give you a better workout. It gives you more motivation and almost feels like you aren't alone!
I know its hard for us Mama's to get out of the house, let alone to the gym to work out. So I thought this would be a good starter for all of you to have a chance to get these ordering and while you wait for them to be shipped to ya.

This next week of posts will be for eating plans.

Take a look at them all and decide which is best for you.
I'm telling you that I absolutely LOVE and have all 3 of these plans, and use them regularly! If you want to purchase any of them let me know by email.
I accept paypal. If you can't do that, you can mail me a check.
Shipping on all of them are $12 each. (seperate from price listed below)
I'm here for any questions!!

Turbo Jam

Recommended for beginners. Moderate Intensity

This workout allows you to go at your own pace, wether or not you stay at a steady heart rate or if you boost to high intensity jumping and motion, this may be the workout for you.

The packed set is actually super fun! I would recommend this to starters. I did this program after my 1st and absolutely loved the whole workout. This is going to be a workout that will give you results and a steady workout everyday. The gloves that comes in the set are awesome and give you a way better workout.


A little about the program:
Turbo Jam packs each workout with calorie-blasting kickboxing, body sculpting, and the hottest dance music. Last year over 1 million people chose Turbo Jam to get the body of their dreams... and now Turbo Jam has been supercharged so you can burn fat and calories to see results faster than ever! It's fast. It's fun. It works.


In a recent university study, some Turbo Jam participants burned over 1,000 calories an hour—that's more than walking, strength training, Pilates, step aerobics, and even running!
Plus, with the Turbo Sculpting Gloves to supercharge your workout and activate 96% more muscle activity than with Turbo Jam alone!



The TurboJamsite is here for you to read over it more if you need and for you to see exactly what will come in the set.


Turbo Jam set includes:

6 workout DVD's
Flash cards
Guidebook (meal plans, workout calendar)
Turbo Sculpting gloves

Price: (Reg. $60) My Price: $35

INSANITY 60 day total body conditioning

Recommended for anyone. Interval Training. Intermediate



This workout plan is new and AMAZING!!! Seriously I've been waiting and waiting for something like this to come out. My workouts consist of high interval, short breaks, total body conditioning. I will always swear by interval training.
I've had it now for over a week and am in love with it every minute. I actually feel like its doing something to my body, rather than just another workout video.

This set comes with 10 different workouts that you switch around over a 60 day period.
The great thing about this too is that its 60 days, where most are normally 90 days. (P90X)
Oh, and it requires O equipment. That's right, O!! Nothing to purchase for the workout, just you, the ground and the TV.

Insanity will the best decision you've ever made in this process, promise!!
With Insanity, you will definately see a change in your body and QUICK.

A little about the workout:
Your personal trainer Shaun T will push you past your limits with 10 workout discs packed with plyometric drills on top of nonstop intervals of strength, power, resistance, and ab and core training moves. No equipment or weights needed. Just the will to get the hardest body you've ever had.
The secret to these mind-blowing results: MAX Interval Training. Shaun T took traditional interval training and flipped it on its head—you perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest. Each workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your MAX. The result: burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour and get the most insane body in 60 days.

Here's a video of what its like if you want to see:

InsanityVideo

And a link to the Insanity site for complete details, remember you can get it from me for lot's cheaper!!
Insanitysite


Set includes:
10 DVD's
Nutrition Plan
Fitness Guide
Calendar

Price: Reg. $120 My Price: $85

P90X 90 Day Transformation
Recommended for the already active, men/women, muscle building


P90X is INSANE, that's all I have to say! I stuck to it for a few weeks, than ended up being a gym rat, but holy crap, if you are looking to get toned up, this is the workout for you! As soon as I'm finished with Insanity, P90X will be my focus.
Especially if you and your husband are wanting to do this together, this is the best for both of you. He will LOVE it and that's for sure...maybe a gift for him eh??!!

Some information about the plan:
P90X is a revolutionary system of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts, designed to transform your body from regular to ripped in just 90 days. You'll also receive a comprehensive 3-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options, a detailed fitness guide, a calendar to track your progress, online peer support, and much more. Your personal trainer, Tony Horton, will keep you engaged every step of the way, and you won't believe your results!
The secret behind the P90X system is an advanced training technique called Muscle Confusion™, which accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus, and you never get bored! Whether you want to get lean, bulk up, or just plain get ripped, there's an endless variety of ways to mix and match the routines to keep you motivated the full 90 days and beyond!
Here's the site for any further info
P90Xsite

Set includes:
12 workout DVD's
Nutrition Plan
Fitness Guide
Educational DVD
Calendar

Price: Reg. $120 My Price: $85

Here ya go!! Let me know what I can do for you from here.
If many of us start up these programs together, it would be a great subject to blog about to discuss our progress, as well as before and after photo's.
What a great idea!

First Things First...

To start off this adventure, and I like to call it an 'adventure' because really it is. You will discover new things about yourself...How far you can go, how much you can do, how disciplined and determined you will be.
There are 4 specific things you will want to read about and decide before you get started, here ya go!

1. Calculate your BMI
(Body Mass Index is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness.)
This is a good way to have an idea of where you are at on the scale and what's expected at your measurements.
Here's a great link to a site that you can calculate not only your BMI but your kids too. I also have a calculator set up to the side for your convenience.

Once you figure that, you'll know exactly how many calories you burn on a daily basis, how many you should burn, and a list of daily duties we do around the house that burn MAJOR calories!

2. Set a Goal
Decide now how much weight you want to lose
How much muscle you want to gain
How healthy you want to eat
And of course, how much work you are willing to put into it.

A healthy lifestyle requires balance, in the foods you eat, in the beverages you consume, in the way you carry out your daily activities, and in the amount of exercise you include in your daily routine.
While counting calories is not necessary, it may help you in the beginning to gain an awareness of your eating habits as you strive to achieve energy balance.
I did it for the first time after my 2nd and it made a huge difference.
The ultimate test of balance is whether or not you are gaining, maintaining, or losing weight.

Its not easy at first ladies, but I promise you that it will get fun, you will feel soooo good, and you will actually love having it in your life, you will need it, crave it! Let exercise be your sweet escape to all the stresses of your daily life.

3. A Plan
Find your eating and workout plan that works for you (that's where I will fill in those question marks!)
Eating:
When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight for a lifetime,
the bottom line is – calories count!
Weight management is all about balance—balancing the number of calories you consume with the number of calories your body uses or "burns off."
For the first 2-4 weeks you will need to be super cautious of what you are consuming and the levels of sugar, carbs, etc.

I have a plan (coming soon) that will require a huge amount of discipline but ya know what, because you will work hard, you will be that much more determined to keep it off and really love your results!
I'm all about high proteins, and low to no carbs or sugars for the first few weeks. That, I am telling you will make the BIGGEST difference in your excess fat, the bulge, and best of all...Cottage Cheese!
Lot's of you want to know how to get rid of the 'Muffin Top'
I promise this will get rid of it!

Working Out:
There are many different ways of doing this depending on your frame, and desired goal.
If you are wanting to lose fat first, you are going to have to do routines that keep your heart rate at a fat burning heart rate (such as speed walking, or swimming) I walked 1-2 times a day 40 min. each time for the first 2 weeks, after that you'll go into higher intensity for muscle building.

Before I figured that out, I was doing lot's of weights, high intensity stuff (which that's what all the trainers at the gym were telling me to do to get off the baby weight. Boy were they wrong!)
The only thing I saw was muscle on top of fat, and that wasn't pretty!
You have to shed the fat first, than build muscle on top of healthy fat that's supposed to be there.

Once you get into high intensity workouts there will be many different ideas and plans I'm going to give you to decide which works for you.
I personally love the gym, but that's not always the best thing for some people, especially if there's no daycare available.
I'm currently living in the middle of nowhere so I have to make things work here at home.
With the workout equipment I have, it works perfect for my lifestyle and actually very workable with kids around.
I'm a HUGE fan of workout videos...they have to be the right videos though to make it worth it!
I have a few different videos I will be posting about very soon for you to choose to purchase...at a much lower price than retail!


4. Mainting your weight
Now that you've lost weight, you have to maintain that success.
Watch your diet, Be Active, Stay on course
If you start to lax a little or a lot because you get where you want, it will slowly creep back up on you. This 4th point might be the most important part of the process. Or you will just be starting all over again, and you don't want to do that!



With this list of what the process is going to be about, if you comit, prepare yourselve's for amazement ladies!
Please please add my blog to your's, send it out to others you may know who would be interested and don't forget to come back often.
I will be posting frequently for your bodies benefit!
Use this site and everyone who is a part of it for support and drive. Afterall, we're all going to need a little pushin'!!

My email is also on the side if you have any random or personal questions, feel free to send it on over!