Is there really a button you can push that instantly makes workouts easier and more effective?

Would that be music to your ears?

The answer is YES. And the "music to your ears" part? Literal.

You Knew It All Along, Didn't You?

Let me ask you a question. Right off the top, if I were to ask you if you enjoy your workouts more with or without music, what would your answer be?

I betting my sweet bippy that your answer would be with music. And we have the research to back up why.

I don't know about you, but when I'm doing my BURST training (see "How To Supercharge Your Energy" in my FREE Fitness Breakthrough Kit), if I lose my tunes I lose my oomph.

And when it comes to going to the edge of muscle challenge with any of my muscle-challenging, body shaping workouts, a music soundtrack invites the extra mile from me.

And now I know it's not just all in my head. The truth about exercise and music is that it can – and does – deliver more intensity to your workouts. And getting the most out of your workout time is high on the list of what busy women who value health and vitality need, am I right?

Pushing the "play" button on your favorite tunes delivery device will give you an effective edge on your workouts.

Bongo Guy, And 4 Ways Tunes Can Transform Your Workouts

Last week at our our picnic lunch at the park, when we showed up there was a lazy, easy summer atmosphere. Families and college students splashing in the creek.

Then the bongo guy showed up. (Doesn't every college town park have one?)

After just a few thumps on the drum, everything sprang into action. Hula hoops magically appeared and spontaneous dance emerged everywhere. You've seen it before. We can count on the drums to get our blood pumping.

It's in our DNA.

Here are 4 ways that music gives your workouts more steam

1) Music reduces in your sensation of fatigue

“Music is like is a legal drug for athletes,” says Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., from London’s Brunel University School of Sport and Education, one of the world’s leading authorities on music and exercise. “It can reduce the perception of effort significantly and increase endurance by as much as 15 percent.”

That feeling of music giving power to your workouts tests out in the lab. Music has a way of distracting us from the fatigue sensations that your body delivers.

Call it courage in sound bytes.

2) Music ramps up your motivation

Altering your mind's "in the mood to move" state with music results in increased exercise performanc. An easy way to psych yourself up for grown up P.E.

3) Music improves your motor coordination

Rhythmic music (there's the drum factor again) enhances gross motor tasks, improving exercise performance.

4) Music increases your sense of relaxation

Now, this may sound counter to "exercise intensity". But in practice, this translates to getting into your exercise "groove". Ever danced for hours endlessly and wonder where the time went? Even if your limbs were aquiver by the end of the evening and you were drowning in a pool of dance sweat? See what I mean? Elevated hormones that contribute to being tired during exercise are somehow mitigated by music. This results in better performance.

Bottom line?

The beat of a soundtrack strengthens the fibers of connection between brain and body.

As the beat drives harder, you push harder. Without thinking about it. This is evidenced in the research that clearly shows the perceived exertion during workouts is reduced when you have music to drive you.

You end up working harder and giving more – naturally. The result is more effective workouts that burn more calories and inspire you to push for more muscle.

It's why I comb the music royalty libraries to buy tunes that will add driving fire to the Fit Quickies™ Tracks. And the added plus? Tunes, beat, and music together connect me with my dancer's roots.

Play around with beats and tunes during your workouts. Watch your strength and endurance soar. Not to mention the joy of movement.

Do you find music makes YOUR workouts better?  Tell me about it in comments below!

ref:

1) Len Kravitz The Effects of Music on Exercise Performance.

2) Carl FosterPhD, John Pocari, Phd, and Mark Anders, Exploring the Effects of Exercise Intensity

© Lani Muelrath 2010

Think about it.

Dig in and find any challenging goal, right now.

Something that presents itself to you without much thought.  You know what I mean.

For example, take the goal of doing your workout schedule this week.  Hopefully, you've planned something that takes minimal time for maximum results and has flexibility built into it, due to the always-present human predicament of the unpredictable happening.

Now, out load, say "Yes, I can do my workout schedule this week". Yes, an important statement.  You've established your capability.

Now, say THIS out loud:

"Yes, I WILL do my workout schedule this week".

Feel the difference?

One is of them has an "I'll try" feel to it.  Wiggle room.

The other has an vested commitment.  Solid.

I'm betting my bottom dollar on "I will" getting you a heck of a lot closer to your goals when you add it to "I can".

This is on my mind today as wild circumstances have been swirling all around me.

• A close, aging relative is in serious condition in the hospital.

• My web server had problems in the middle of some important business projects.

• The roofer arrived to repair the roof leak.  Shall I go on?

Here's the thing.

Though it took extra resolve to follow through on my workout plans and being prepared with healthy, energizing eats today, to NOT do so would have made these circumstances far more difficult to manage.  It's easy to say "just this time…there's too much stress to eat right!", or "I don't have time to get in a workout!"

But in most cases, neither of these statements are true.

Nor are they in your best interest.  You will be more resilient, better able to face even the most unpleasant of circumstances and tasks, and of better service to not only yourself but those around you as well when you take care of your health and energy needs.  That's what wellness is all about.

In other words, put the oxygen mask on first.  Then you can breathe.  And have the vitality to be up to the tasks.  And be of service.

Are you an "I can" or an "I will" person?

You can learn to become an "I will" person.  This doesn't mean you'll get the oxygen mask on in time each and every time.  But trust me, it'll happen a lot more often than if you are rallying around in "I can" territory.

The Bigger Picture

Extend this same idea to another endeavor in your life.  Give it the "I can" vs. the "I will" test.  See if you don't experience a shift in energy.

Spare Me The Yabutz

"Yeah, but what if…."

Hey, don't go there. If something comes up and you absolutely need to change your plan, and it will from time to time, then you just do what you need to do.

But without the foundation of "I will", the change in plans can happen just often enough to destroy your dreams.

Challenge: take just one thing that you have been "can-ning", and turn it into a "will" statement.  Watch what happens.  And click here tell what YOU are changing to an "I will" in comments below.

© Lani Muelrath 2010     image:  prospurring

I have no idea who these people are. But this looks like the quintessential food-pusher, family picnic nightmare!

So, has the annual summer family reunion arrived?

For better or for worse, and usually a little bit of both.

And tightly woven into these family affairs seems to be the ubiquitous piles and platters of edibles not on your dietary plan.  Am I right?

And the food pushers who peddle them.  You know what I mean.

What a health-minded woman like you to do?

My client Janette (not her real name to protect her identity from curious web-surfing relatives) wrote a few days ago for some last words of advice before heading off for a week of family gathering.  Actually, it seems more of my clients than not have had big family affairs this summer, the kind that usually present themselves only at Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Between you and me, I've waded through more than one landmine -loaded gathering of relatives myself, and had some words of advise for Janette.  Here for your benefit – and Janette's permission – is our correspondence – along with some strategies for success.

Hi Everyone,

So the Costco trip is done, I have a refrigerator packed with food for 14 ready to load into coolers. DH and I start our week with our kids tomorrow by supplying the first meal (nachos supreme for them, beans rice salsa and veggies for me), breakfast the next day, and staples for the week.

I was not the happiest camper doing the Costco trip with my daughter as she efficiently added all the kinds of things we bought in years past – lots of SAD*. I kept thinking of which mason jars of grains I will take and I did slip in an extra jar of garden salsa as she frowned and said REALLY, TWO?? I said 14 people for a week? She said ALL EATING SALSA EVERY MEAL? I grinned "ya never know!" Hmmm…

Here is my dilemma. I had such a "recommitment" this past Monday and a good solid week of healthy eating, that I want to continue same all next week since I have been so psyched this week. Why not? Do I have a better time to blast through my 4 year plateau?

BUT… I don't want to set up a failure situation by being unrealistic about the challenges of being with my family and the challenges have already started. With 7 kids and SOs or spouses, you can imagine the  undercurrents – ugh. And the margaritas! And the constant plenty! OMG!

BUT I don't want to drag my old tired stories (my family is so difficult re food for me) into a new day and not do the best I can do. Who cares about margaritas when everyone else is drinking them and they look so …special? Or when my son brings one over to me (as he did another year in the past) and hands me one and says "ok, time to toast this beautiful woman" do I not drink it? I don't have it in me to do that.

So yes I am going to go with the flow, it's my vacation, soak up all those impressions of my beautiful and growing family and let go of the 100 projects I run in my regular life – but where does that leave me with food? I have to plan! I don't want a week of anything goes! I also don't want to undo this week.

Ack! Any last minute thoughts?

Janette

Here is my reply to Janette:

Janette, it sounds like you are looking for the solid phrase that will keep you on your current trajectory and permission for margaritas at the same time. Of course! Universal dilemma!

Last minute thoughts:

1) Beware of food pushers, who have their own agendas that have nothing to do with you, your life, your preferences. When you change, it shifts things around you and can be unsettling to others. This very thing keeps women stuck year after year because they'd rather not upset the cart. So things stay the same.

2) I never walk out of Costco with LESS than 2 jugs of salsa, and there are only 2 of us! Granted, I don't get there very often. But what people might not get is for you it is a vegetable, not a tiny splash of red on the end of a chip. When I have a bowl of rice/beans/salsa (like yesterday late morning) there is just about as much salsa (as long as it's mild, which the Costco stuff is) as rice and beans.

3) Remember to avoid trying to explain and rationalize to everyone else why you're eating as you are. Enjoy all your mountains of food with gusto, make it look delicious and fun (which it is) – attitude is everything! And if asked, just say it's working for you, you're loving your food, have more energy and are having no complaints about trimming down.

4) Find one or two occasions to have a margarita as that sounds important. The sugar is far better than having piles of chips and dips! Decide which choices you will be making so that YOU are in control, rather than thinking "I hope I don't have any margaritas". See what I'm saying?

5) Family dynamics seem to have a life of their own. This is also why (as I suggested earlier) get as far into the week as you can before making exceptions, if indeed you are. If you start with a landslide, it's far harder to crawl back. This has been an effective strategy for me on more than one occasion. For example, the candy at Christmas. Visiting family, if I waited until day 3 to have a piece or two, knowing I was returning home on day 4, damage was minimal.

Have a wonderful time, remember the food is just part of the process and enjoy all the fun of being around your family!

Thinking of you,
Lani

In a nutshell? Plan ahead;  don't leave it to chance!  Pack more good, whole satisfying food than you think you'll need so you'll always have something nutritious, energizing, and slimming to eat.  That's half the battle.  And plan your indulgences so you don't find yourself grasping at the twigs on the slide down the calorie cliff.

*SAD:  standard American diet

© Lani Muelrath image:  jennaruthclark

Pardon my French, but this kind of stuff really fries me bucket.  Because it hurts YOU, and it is so unnecessary.

Do celebrities really have "better information" when it comes to fitness?  Or is that just fitness marketing bs?

As you can imagine, I get ALL kinds of fitness related emails.

From the pros.

The tried and trusted, educated sources.

The bogus wanna be's.

And all points in between.

And of course, amidst all of it, lots of hype, hype, hype.

Don't get me started.  I'll try to stick to the specific example here.

The Fitness BS e-mail I Got Today

What's got my goat today is a prominent message  (restated: emotional hook) in an email I just received from a "trainer to celebrities" fitness expert.

This person has a long list of credentials, and is no doubt quite qualified in a number of areas of health and well-being.

But the hype here stopped me short.  Can you hear it?  Listen:

"Celebrities are not more beautiful than you or I.  It's just that they have access to far better information."

Do you hear what this is saying? The implication is that "you darn better get this 'better' information (and only I have it!) or you'll never win at fitness, fat loss, weight loss, and all of your other weight goals will be impossible to meet.

I Beg To Differ

B.S. "Better information"?  Excellent information about health, fitness, weight loss, and well-being is all over the place.  There is no special "Academy of Health Information Only Accessible By The Rich And Famous" that we darn better drum up the money to access or just drown in a big pool of "loser".

Secrets to success aren't really "secrets" in the classic sense of being hidden, but rather important keys for unlocking potential.  Hiring a coach to help me move forward is simply smart action, but don't hook my fear of failure by parading elitist language.

So Just What IS The "Celebrity Advantage"???

What is the "celebrity" fitness advantage?   And how can you get it?

It's not "better information".  We're just led to believe that by "celebrity trainers".

Rather, celebrities have, when it comes to weight loss, fitness, and beauty:

1. A compelling reason to stay fit.  Their livelihood – more often than not – depends on it.
2. Trainers, nutritionists, and sometimes even shoppers and cooks.  Granted, they invest heavily in this.  All because of #1.

The Nugget In The Fools Gold

Fitness Fool's Gold? Find the True Gems Among The False Leads

There are always some gems to harvest among the fool's gold and let me show you where you'll find it here.

A compelling reason for success is your #1 fitness success tool.

Once armed with that, find a coach who you trust in whom you can invest that will help you move your goals forward and coach you on the tools to get you there.

I believe in coaching big time, always work with one or more myself, whether in fitness or business.   Every dollar well spent because it moves my dreams, vision, and goals forward.

But it is the coaching and support and application expertise that are the real gems.  This "celebrity trainer" could have sold their program well on this alone.  It was the underhanded "better information" that hits below the belt.

Find YOUR compelling reason for health, fitness, or weight loss. Let it inspire, motivate, and give meaning to your mission.  And tell about it in comments below.

© Lani Muelrath All Rights Reserved image:  hypephotography

Jennifer Dove, Entrepeneur, Writer, Dancer/Teacher

Clarity, confidence, energy and inch loss – THIS is the stuff of which fitness dreams are made. Hallmarks of living your body ideal.  When I asked Jennifer if I could share her letter with you, she quickly yet humbly replied "Yes!"

Hi Lani,

This morning my husband looked at me and said, "Something's different. Whatcha been doing?"

I went ahead and measured everywhere this morning for the first time since starting with your coaching. Who knew this much could shift in only one month!

I'm in total shock right now.

My results from your May class?  Well…I feel funny posting this. I'm kinda overwhelmed and surprised. Don't know about weight loss because I don't own a scale.

And, I measured three times to be sure I wasn't seeing things.

Total inches lost = 9.5  inches

3/5  inch from each arm
1  inch from the waist
1.5  inch from lower abs
1  inch from hips
1.5  inch from lower hips – saddle bag area
1/2  from each thigh
3/4  from just above each knee
1/2  inch from left calf (Has always been bigger than right calf because of nerve damage from an old back injury. Now they are almost even.)

Where did it go?

My clothes do feel different. I wore a dress the other night to an event that had been pretty tight last summer and isn't now.

The biggest shifts?

1. Following your calorie density dietary plan - foods with fiber, veggies and starches, seeds, whole grains, and fruit.
2. I didn't cook with oil.
3. Not eating chicken or fish – which I did regularly before.
4. Very little stress/automatic eating of chocolate. Caught myself before it went too far. The whole food shift experience was a lot like coming home. My husband commented that we were eating the way we did when we were first married and couldn't afford fish or chicken. LOL! He loved it and so did I. Incidentally, he got on a scale at his gym and has lost 5 pounds this month.
5. Activity every day. Pushing harder about 4 times a week. I really wasn't doing more than yoga at the beginning of the month.
6. And, the commitment to do the above. I know for sure that I wouldn't have sustained this kind of change if I'd tried to do it on my own. Having the forum and other women making similar changes made all the difference! Everyone's input spurred me on.

It Gets Even Better

In the last two weeks I've noticed that:

• my energy level is more steady throughout the day
• I'm sleeping more soundly.
  
• I get up at 6 in the morning and really look forward to working out.
  
• I'm motivated to get to sleep at a decent hour each night so that I can get up and exercise in the morning. As a mom, my 20-year-old habit has been to wait until all the chores were finished and everyone else was in bed before I could relax enough to sleep myself. This is definitely shifting and should since my kids are much older now. And, like I shared the other night, my time of the month was a breeze which is significantly different. I usually get a migraine followed by a day or two of severe cramps and a downward spiraling mood cycle. But that didn't happen this month. Big surprise to me. This change alone is my motivation for keeping the changes I've made going!

The Big Picture

Jennifer, an accomplished author, presenting her poetry in performance

I would say that this experience has given birth to a sense of hopefulness, a feeling that more is possible, that I can create the kind of changes I want to see in my life.

Earlier this year, when thinking about making a change in my work, or about returning to performing more often, I couldn't get clear about what should come first – should I take more classes, get another degree, start advertising, join a gym, etc.

I couldn't visualize myself in the new place I wanted to be.

Somehow I got the message that after moving to our new house would be a great time to start to implement some life changes. And it was clear that all my business ideas wouldn't get off the ground if I wasn't feeling stronger and more confident in my body and presence.

That's why I signed up for your class.

Taking this class, really immersing myself in it, was a way to take myself, and my dreams/hopes more seriously, to put my goals out there and work toward them. Plus, I wasn't doing this alone.

Being involved in a public way on the forum felt like practice for being more fully out in the world in a bigger way. I'm hoping this makes sense. Not only did my weight shift, my thoughts shifted about who I am and what I'm capable of.

The Profound Shifts

Before your class and joining FitDream Fusion Inner Circle I spent a lot of time trying to convince myself that what I eat really doesn't make a difference. After all, we're being told it's the calorie intake that counts the most. And maybe when I was a 20-something that was true.

However, nowadays, the food I eat has dramatic effect and I finally "get" it!

My husband, son, and I went on a 4 mile hike today. While walking I asked them if they'd noticed a difference in me this month. "Heck Yeah!" my son said, "Mom, you've been a LOT nicer this month."

Ha! And my husband said, "Oh yes, it's working! What you're doing is definitely working!" What they noticed more than anything is that my moods weren't swinging from one extreme to another as they had been. Evidently, according to them, I've been pretty difficult to live for a while now. That shift the guys are sensing is about the food I'm eating now, as well as the exercise, most definitely.

I am so grateful and plan to keep it going!

~ Jennifer Dove, Entrepeneur, Writer/Dancer/Teacher, Maryland

Notes from Lani: Jennifer's experience humbles and thrills me at the same time.   The most exciting thing about working with women in health and fitness is when the connection is made that being more fit creates more energy, clarity of direction, productivity, and the deepened opportunity to share your gifts and message.  Entrepeneurs such as Jennifer absolutely and without question need energy, well-being, and the happiness of physical confidence to bring their gifts and message to the world in a profitable, authentic, and satisfying way.  This is the stuff of which dreams are made!

Thank you, thank you Jennifer for having the courage to take these simple tools of fitness by the horns, apply them in a deepening way – even without a "perfection" score, look what you've achieved and where you are going!

If you're like me, the waist is where you can sense pudge first.   Maybe it's because it's so noticeable in the way our clothes fit, or because we can so easily – quite literally – see excess poundage when it lands in our middle.

Most women (once past their teens, anyway) find the waist seems to be a favored storage area for any extra "fluff".

And when we lose some measure off the waist,  universally we feel more fit, confident, lithe, and healthy.  Yes?

Where Did That Inch In The Waist Go?

"Question for Lani – what's your input on why so many Gams Glutes Abs and Arms participants had significant inch loss in the waist? Was there a specific movement or Fit Quickie exercise that made that happen?"

This question from Jennifer just came in on the heels of the wrap of our May Boot Camp "Gams Glutes Abs and Arms 4 Summer".

Yes, Jennifer, there are exact and specific reasons we had such focused results from this class.

Let me list them for you.

Why The Waist, And So Many Showing Inches Lost, In So Short A Time

Here is a partial list of the waist stats to which Jennifer refers.  At the finish of the 4 week session, these reports started rolling in.

Now, keep in mind I'm going to focus on waist inch loss as per Jennifer's question.  These women peeled inches off everywhere else, but the waist losses really caught our attention first:

• Keturah: 1 inch off her waist

• Carol: 1.5 inches off her waist
  

• Jennifer: 1 inch off her waist

• Val: 1 inch off her waist

• Phyllis: 1 inch off her waist

For starters.

3 Steps To Cinching Inches In The Waist – This Quickly

Each of the women noted above implemented tools that were key to the May class – and are part of my signature system for energy, resilience and strength, body shaping, and weight loss.  As these results ARE typical, and coming in like clockwork for those in my programs, I'd like to show you how simple and straightforward the pathway to these kinds of successes really are.

Let's look at the 3 headliners that these women implemented:

1)  Winning Dietary Guidelines: An incredibly simple, easy-to-follow dietary plan that keeps you satisfied, well fed, and OUT of the hunger zone (critical!  White knuckle weight loss does NOT work.)  As Fitness Expert at the Health and Medical Center for Dr. McDougall. M.D., I have the inside track to simple and powerful nutrition tips that make THE difference.

2)  Targeted Body Shapers: The muscles around the middle are not only often shrouded in excess body fat (which is addressed directly with #1 above), but due to bad posture and inactivity have lost density and shape.  The best way to reverse this is to isolate and overload those very muscles. As the body fat stores decrease via the Dietary Guidelines, these muscles start to "show up" and display their "cinching" properties to your best advantage when challenged in specific, targeted fashion.

In the May class, we implemented the following Fit Quickies™ Fit Quickies, all of which – either directly or indirectly – target the middle:

• Fit Quickie #1: 7 Seconds to a Flat Belly
  
• Fit Quickie #5: Topless Muffins
  
• Fit Quickie #7:  Kickstand Curls,
  
• Fit Quickie # 4 Gorgeous Glutes and Hamstrings, and #6 (Thigh Warriors) and #8 (Hot Seat!) which work the largest muscles of the body, and also have an Interval Training effect, increasing calories burned during as well as after exercise to dip into body fat stores.
  

  Snapshot from Fit Quickie #7: Kickstand Curls

3)  Active Every Day: Though workouts were solidly in place, this does not mean "work out" every day.  It means move your body.  Just being a good animal. Include challenges to the large muscle groups of the body to build shape and metabolic rate.  It's really quite simple.

4)  Community and Support: The simple act of signing on for a focused study, whether as part of an ongoing community or a group with a time-telescoped shared goal, such as a month long course, steps you up to the plate of success.

By demonstrating to yourself that you value your fitness, health, and goals about all of it, you leap far further into the health, well-being and energy circle.

It's a way of supporting yourself, let alone getting the support of others on the same venture along with a mentor and coach. The power of this synergy has proven itself time and time again.

As a matter of fact, it is very common when women simply sign up for a class or membership, things start moving rapidly for them because it is a sign of their commitment.

Out of the wishy-wash into the spin cycle.

Off the fence and into the sandbox.  Which is exactly why I've got something new cooking just for you….

Are you seriously looking for a way to finally shake the extra pounds and inches that sap your energy, undermine your confidence and self-esteem, and tarnish your self-image? Abandon the fitness chaos that keeps sabotaging your success, and implement a proven step-by-step strategy to energize, lose weight, shape your body, and explode your vitality.  Click HERE now to get started.

You can hear the excitement in Val's voice and no wonder.

Val is one of my Gold Level members at FitDream Fusion Inner Circle who has done not only a clear job of succeeding with simple, easy tools yet has also tracked her progress for an amazing snapshot of success.

If you are looking for heightened energy, a more resilient and shapely body, and simple systems to get them, then what Val has to say will really hit home.

I'll let her tell her body and energy makeover story herself.

Hi Lani and Everyone,

Very exciting changes have taken place these few short weeks that I’m excited to talk about.  The shifts have been nothing short of amazing and…well, here are the details. You are more than welcome to share.

My success and progress toward my goals since I started working with Lani's coaching has been solid, steady, and very exciting!

Membership in her FitDream Fusion Inner Circle has made such a difference in my success.

The Stats

I have now:

1. lost an entire size (from tight 10/12 to lose 8/10)
2. dropped 6 lbs and over 10 inches (in key spots alone:  waist, abs, hips)
3. reduced 4 inches (yes!) in my waist alone!
4. shaved 3 inches off my abs
5. tightened up 3 inches off my hips.

The Excitement

Feeling more comfortable in my clothes was a big initial goal – and I'm thrilled that those changes are really happening. I can now wear some shirts tucked in with belts. Muffin top not as noticeable. T-shirts a nicer fit. Some pants/jeans are even baggy.

The Difference

The consistency and accountability factor have played such an important role in my success.

I love that my energy is much more even.

I used to notice drastic energy drops and dragging myself around. Not anymore.

With the tools that Lani has coached me to put in place, my energy is far more even, constant, and reliable. Sometimes at night now, I still have energy to do things. Amazing!

I love what Lani's dietary guidelines has done for my hunger satisfaction. I am hungry when I wake up in the morning and eat my fill of whole grains, nuts, and fruit. After that, I'm never really famished.

Sometimes, I go through lunch time without eating. I just forget. Whodathunk???! Me? Forget to eat?

Before, my diet was already pretty good, but I was lacking in some things that Lani pointed out. Implementing her signature system guidelines has made a huge difference in keeping my blood sugar/energy levels stable and even.

Decidedly Dramatic Improvements

1)  Superb 3 day exercise option rotation – I'm really getting into the groove of the 3 day exercise option rotation that Lani designed for me. starting to get into the groove of this. My brain and body loves this schedule. I'm looking forward to diversifying. And I love the Fit Quickies™.

2)  Skin improvements - I have battled extremely dry, flaky skin on my legs for several years now. That has cleared up! The only thing I've been doing different is daily adding beans and whole grains to my meals.

3)  Renewed joys: Ballroom & Nightclub Dancing! Tighter core and buns means better balance, and more confidence in my ability to execute spins and turns. This has added a new level of pleasure and fun to the dancing experience.

Fabulous!

~ Val Durack, Urbana,

P.S. A friend told me this week that I look better now than I did 10 years ago – more fit and toned. yeah!  I can't wait to see what the next weeks bring!

Notes Of Observation from Lani:

First, big hugs and hearty congratulations to Val – as well as a huge THANK you for putting your facts and observations together, sharing them with others – and for showing us what is absolutely possible with a few simple tools – and implementing them.  Fine work and what an inspiration!

Val is one of those women who listened when I said your dietary plan DOES make a difference.  And here are some simple changes to make that will allow you to eat to satisfaction, enjoy everything you eat, and lose excess weight at the same time.

She's one of those women who listened when I said that you don't need to knock yourself out with extensive workouts or fancy formulas, but you DO need to:

1)  challenge the muscles most often neglected, a few times each week

2)  move pretty much every day

3)  pay attention to motivation and mindset…and practice the value of addressing what's going on on the inside to move your success to a new level, and that includes utilizing mentorship, teamwork, and coaching support.

Are you plagued by ineffective habits or extra lbs and inches that sap your energy, undermine your confidence and self-esteem, and tarnish your self-image? Abandon the fitness chaos that keeps sabotaging your success, and implement a proven step-by-step strategy to energize, lose weight, shape your body, and explode your vitality. GO HERE now for the solution.

Pssst…stories like Phyllis' are coming in each week at FitDream Fusion Inner Circle.

And just between you and me, they are from women like you who are busy, and do not have a lot of time to devote to exercise and diet.

Which is why they, like you, benefit so much from simple systems of eating and exercise to bring things in on target with their energy and body shaping goals.

Sometimes these stories are more dramatic than others.

Yet when it happens to YOU, it is more than a minor miracle. Sharing eachother's excitement in solid progress with creating a better body through fitness, weight loss, and body shaping while keeping energy high for productivity is a joy best shared.

For Phyllis, this means specifically:

• down 5.8 lbs
• down 7.5 inches
• increased energy and productivity, needing about an hour less sleep
• workouts to "a new production level"
  

But I'll let her tell you.

Here is Phyllis' recent post, straight from her FitDream Fusion Inner Circle Journal:

Hi Lani and Everyone!

Wow. Time is going by so fast! We're getting down to the last few trips for our move and DS's wedding is less than a month away.  I had to take a step back and reevaluate what I can and can't do over the next month without stressing myself completely out.

I decided I CAN stay focused on what I'm eating.

I CAN fit in a few Fit Quickies every day.

I CAN at least log into FitDream Fusion and read posts on this forum to keep me motivated.

I decided I am NOT going to stress about working out every day because I HAVE to get this house cleaned out and everything moved approx 130 miles away.  I am down to mainly cleaning out closets but dang those are not fun!

Having said all the above, my DS commented last night that I am looking slimmer.

It made my day as you can imagine! So this morning I decided to weigh and measure because I had noticed a few changes too but have just been too busy to stop and measure.

Here are the results — since 5/1 – less than 4 weeks ago:

I've lost a total of 5.8 lbs and 7.5 inches! YAY!

And I’ve lost a total of 7.2 lbs since 4/18 when started eating more closely with Lani’s dietary guidelines.

And what I've lost in weight and inches, I've gained in energy.

I have found that following Lani's eating plan is what has really produced results for me.  It seems to take the workouts that I can get in to a new production level if that makes sense.

And the inches are in my abdomen and hips which is where I really need them to melt away from!

My main inch loss is:

1 inch in my waist,

1 inch in my hips,

1 inch in EACH upper thigh and

.5 in EACH lower thigh….AND.

… .25 in EACH upper arm.  I am excited about all the above but really focused on toning my arms right now because the dress for DS's wedding is sleeveless .

The fact that I had a week of vacation in SC eating some Southern Food and still experienced the above amazes and pleases me!

It's Getting Easier

I have to tell you that each small success (a pound here, an inch there) makes it easier for me to make the next healthy choice.

I have not been hungry once since starting to eat this way on 4/18. It's amazing to me. And I'm just touching the tip of the vast variety of food options out there.

Energy is UP!

Regarding energy...I find that I don't need as many hours of sleep as I used to require to make it through the day.  That's a big deal for me!  I'm getting by with about an hour less per night too.  It's great!

The support I get from all of you here has been amazing and I so appreciate the encouragement.

FitDream Fusion is such an awesome group and provides so much support for me and my goals. Lani's daily involvement with us is priceless.

Even during this time of financial setback for us, FitDream Fusion is a non-negotiable monthly expense for me.

I'm part of a FF Dream Team that I know is necessary for my long-term success. I sincerely appreciate YOU Lani and everyone here!

Need to go now, but had to share with all of you.  Thanks for keeping me motivated even when I can't always reciprocate!

~Phyllis Bahou, CA

Congratulations and excellent job, Phyllis! Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your journey – and look what you've accomplished.

Dear Readers, leave your comments for Phyllis, below, OK?

And click HERE for more FitDream Fusion "wins" reported this week!

Are you plagued by extra lbs and inches that sap your energy, undermine your confidence and self-esteem, and tarnish your self-image? Abandon the fitness chaos that keeps sabotaging your success, and implement a proven step-by-step strategy to energize, lose weight, shape your body, and explode your vitality.  Click HERE now.

image:  strachowski

Connection, support, commitment, accountability, coaching….it spells ongoing and spiraling success.  Just had time to grab a few posts from earlier today:

Hey Everyone,

I was planning to remeasure this coming Saturday when Lani's Gams Glutes Abs and Arms class is winding up.

However, while doing yoga this morning I noticed my forward bends felt different – not as much cush sliding forward along with me.

So, I thought, I'll just check and see if anything's different in my waist. I measured and compared with my starting measurements from May 1.

A whole inch gone!

I'm happy because this happened even with a couple of dives into chocolate land this month.

Yahoo!!  ~ Jennifer Dove, Entrepeneur, Writer/Dancer/Teacher, Maryland

Hi FF Team!

I just weighed, and I'm down three pounds!!! Just one more pound, and I'll be in the 130's.

I can't remember when I've been there.

What have I done differently this week…….Have eaten oatmeal for brekkie and because I've added more nuts and blueberries it has "held me" until noon…Also, I've gone to an intensity that I didn't know I had in me.

I'm very happy!!! Thanks, Lani!  ~Martha Hammond, Quanah, Texas

I have now officially lost 15 lbs in total since March 28th!!! And other than being sick I HAVE NOT BEEN HUNGRY for sugar and cr*p and have loved my meals!!! And eating out when in the states while there on business was disgusting btw – everything tasted sooooooooooo greasy.  Even the potatoes were done in butter. I was lucky there was a hot cereal for brekkie everyday, so I loaded up on that with raisins and walnuts from the side table (and pineapple for my fruit – and whaddya know, I actually could handle fruit in the morning – I have not been able to do that in years!!!).

~ Paym  Bergson, Entrepeneur,  Paym Bergson Enterprise  Trainer/Writer

Are you plagued by lack of exercise and extra lbs and inches that sap your energy, undermine your confidence and self-esteem, and tarnish your self-image? Abandon the fitness chaos that keeps sabotaging your success, and implement a proven step-by-step strategy to energize, lose weight, shape your body, and explode your vitality.  Click HERE now.

Do you want to be at your ideal weight?

Do you desire the body shape that is YOUR personal best?

Are you craving a  jumpstart to realizing your body ideal, so you can put your best foot forward in your business – and your life?

You know you do - and that's why I want to congratulate you for joining me in this unprecedented, energizing avenue to explode your fitness just in time for summer.

We launch May 1.

We're bursting at the seams, but I've opened space for more.

So you don't have to burst at YOUR seams.

• Weekly flexible workout schedules

• Dietary guidelines to skyrocket your results – while eating mountains of comfort food without hunger
• Weekly Group Coaching Calls with ME, your weight loss and body shaping specialist
  
• Fit Quickies for targeted body shaping – at those areas hardest to hit: abs, glutes, arms, thighs
  
• Team Synergy to catapult your weight loss and body shaping success in our private forums

Excited?  Tell us about it in comments below!

P.S. It's not too late to jump into this expertly guided fitness fest:  Click HERE to register now:  Gams, Glutes, Abs & Arms 4 Summer.