How and Why I Use Social Media (a work in progress)

Ok folks,

Here's the overview (a work in perpetual progress)

Why - I use social media to:

• Connect with old and current friends and contacts
• Meet new folks
• Support and promote friends, companies, and causes
• Share who I am
• Share thoughts of others I find inspiring, interesting, beautiful, or just fun
• Share my thoughts
• Help others when I can
• Promote our business(es)
• Have fun
• Connect with the collective creative universe
• 
  

What - I use social media to:

• Recognize and celebrate others' birthdays, accomplishments and successes
• Draw attention to other people's businesses and efforts
• Quote others and myself
• Show off my writing, photography, video, graphics, and overall cleverness
• Express my love for my wife and my family
• Notice questions or problems others ask or state and, if I think I have something worthwhile to share, step up.
• Be witty
• Share specific examples of foods, exercise, places, people, animals, and nature shots I enjoy.
• Share tech tips that matter to me and I think have relevance to my circles
• Mention our (Marge, myself, and our companies) events, promotions, progress, missions, purpose, and fun
• Comment, "like", and engage with others' social media posts and updates
• 
  

Where - Social media I focus on primarily include:

• Facebook
• Google+
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

Also Where - I also post with varying frequency at (selectively for the same purposes above)on:

• en*theos
• 3rd Street Plaza
• my BeingBruceBrown.com blog
• our HealthyHappyHotandFit.com website/blog
• my Team Beachbody websites: BrucetheCoach.com and Shakeology.com/BrucetheCoach

When - Daily:

• en*theos
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• LinkedIn
• BeingBruceBrown.com

When - Weekly:

• YouTube

Going forward, I intend to:

• Publish minimum of 2 Youtube videos per week (cuz video rules - and it's fun!)
• Develop a checklist for FB/T/Li/G+ posts that includes:
  • workouts
  • recipes
  • ingredients of Shakeology or other nutritious foods
  • team and coach successes
  • our physical and financial successes (general)
  • specific Team Beachbody and Beachbody events, promotions, new products, news, and opportunities
  • promotion of our 31 Days books
• Develop a checklist for:
  • LinkedIn recommendations
  • Comments and 'likes' on others Facebook posts
  • Follow more blogs and actively comment (this is pretty vague right now, I realize)
  • Actively seeking comments on blog posts, and book reviews on Amazon for our 31 Days books

So that's where it is as of now, folks.

Thanks for reading. 

And I would LOVE to hear what you do now and what  you want to do more of.

How Much? How Hard? How Often?

Exercise frequency, intensity, and duration are concepts everyone really should consider. While I'm not a big fan of the word "should", preferring to use "could" instead because it implies choice and personal power, when it comes to exercise, like eating and sleeping, you should know enough about the principles of frequency, intensity, and duration that you can reap maximum benefits of exercise while protecting yourself against injury.

To continue the comparison with eating, most people know we should eat every day (frequency), that it's better to eat the proper amounts of the right kinds of food (duration), and also that it's best to have several (3-5) small meals during the day rather than one huge meal (intensity). The difference between intensity and duration may be a bit fuzzy with the food comparison, so let's switch right off to exercise.

Frequency - How often you exercise is the most important of the three factors. Bottom line, you should exercise every day. You don't need to do every type of exercise every day, but every day you really should have a plan to include some form of exercise. Certainly cardiovascular exercise and stretching are good every day. Strength-building with the same muscle groups isn't a good idea because doesn't allow time for muscles to rest, recover, and grow. If you exercise every day, no matter how long or how hard, that's the first and most important step.

Duration - Once you're in the life habit of working out every day, even if that means a 20 minute brisk walk on some days, duration is the second most important principle. How long you work out depends on many factors, certainly including other things in your life like work, family, social obligations, and rest, but for many it's too easy to skimp. Certainly 5 minutes of cardio every day is better than nothing every day, but after a short while the benefit is minimal.

So figure out how long you need to exercise and make it a priority. Unless you're a competitive athlete, whose long, frequent, hard workouts are the rule rather than the exception, you'll likely find that as you get older,  the optimum recommended amount of daily exercise increases. When I was in my 30s and 40s, an hour workout a day seemed sufficient. Now that I'm older, two hours a day just seems right for me, split into one long workout and one or two shorter sessions (remembering that as I'm defining it, a workout can be a brisk walk, not always something intense like Insanity or P90X).



Intensity - The third and certainly not the least principle in exercise planning is intensity. To continue to get benefit from exercise, as you get stronger and more fit, you have to increase the intensity, otherwise you will start to backslide - no joke, that's just the way it is. As your bodies accommodates new levels of intensity, the benefits diminish.

You also need to be moderate with increases in intensity, however, because increasing too much can be harmful. Weekend warrior-type injuries and both soft tissue (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) and hard tissue (bone) injuries can results from doing too much too soon, especially if intensity increases aren't accompanied by increase in frequency and duration.


The Sensible Combination - So the smartest, healthiest, and best combination of these three exercise principles for long term health and fitness is firrst to schedule work outs every day, next to increase the duration, and finally to gradually increase intensity. Simple, right?

A Quick Video Look at Team Beachbody

Team Beachbody Coaching

I Finally Found Use for My Real College Major

I'm quite relieved to discover what I was really doing in the 60s! (We probably don't need to get in to a lot of detail on this point, I'm talking about college majors ... sorta.)

I was an English major and Sociology minor at the University of Connecticut. Officially, anyway. That's what it says on my transcript. However, I now realize my real major was Coffeehouse Meetings.

I may have missed a few inconveniently timed, officially scheduled classes along the way, maybe, but I was consistent, eager, and at the head of the class in attendance on my daily rounds at coffee spots in the dorm, at the student union, and at a marvelous, hanger-size basement called the Campus Restaurant (which I think never closed).

And that's what I do a whole lot in my social and work life now. I hang out in coffee houses.

I suppose back in the day I could have taken a big hint from UCONN Dean Hewes at the end of the semester in the spring of my Freshman year.

Dean Hewes said, "Bruce, if we had a major in extracurricular activities and meeting people, you'd be on the honor roll. But we don't. And you're not only NOT on the honor roll in your real major, but we're going to have to drop you from the Honors Program."

Wow, he knew what I was all about!

He was, of course trying to motivate me to fight my way back into the Honors Program, but the message I might have picked up was .... "Do what you love." Which was indeed what I did, for three more years.

And what I love to do is meet people in relaxed, congenial, convivial settings to talk about their lives, their dreams, their plans, and what's going on to move them in the directions they have chosen. And these days, as a Team Beachbody Coach, often we talk about health and fitness, of interest to just about everyone.

So what better place to hang out and meet and talk with people than in a coffee house? In the Wilmington area I spend a lot of time meeting people in Port City Javas and at times at Atlanta Bread. I like to move around (can you say "moving target"?) and along the way find new coffee places, especially independent spots where everything comes together just  right.

One of my new fav coffee places is Courthouse Coffee in the small city of Burgaw. Burgaw is also notable for its wonderful town green and friendly people, but I'm not doing a travelog here, this post is about places to drink coffee and meet people. Courthouse Coffee is the dream fulfillment of Donna Best-Klingel and her husband Barry Klingel and it's a nifty spot. They sell used books, too, which is a big draw for me, plus they have healthy food and snacks, indoor and outdoor seating, wireless Internet, and wicked good coffee. Yay.

So that's actually where I'll be this coming Friday morning, at Courthouse Coffee, 106 Courthouse Avenue in the Historic District of Downtown Burgaw. I'll be doing some post-graduate work in my college major, you see. Stop by and say "hey" if you're in the area.

Here's a link to the Courthouse Coffee Facebook page with info and directions.

And, for those who have the same major, where do you hang out?

Going Bare(foot) with Chris and Rebecca

Do you exercise with shoes on?

I always did, but thanks to a suggestion from Chris Roberts, a Wilmington area guy I met a few months ago at a networking event, I decided to try barefoot exercise and after two months I am loving it.



Chris and I were talking about P90X and he mentioned he'd done the Plyometrics workout that day. I said something about needing really good foot support for that (I usually wore some old school, highly air shocked Nikes). Chris said, no, that he always did Plyometrics as well as most other exercise barefoot.



So we talked about it a bit and I realized that dancers and gymnasts workout and perform barefoot so obviously it wasn't a totally crazy idea. So the next day I started doing my P90X  sessions barefoot.


I also recently also started taking exercise classes in our neighborhood in addition to my early morning P90X workouts. I regularly take Zumba classes and sometimes (depending on how I'm feeling from P90X) I'll take a Pilates class. The Zumba instructor and folks all wear special Zumba shoes, though some wear regular cross trainers. I thought about it and after a few classes started doing Zumba barefoot.


And I love it! I do get some funny looks and more questions about why I'm not wearing shoes and doesn't it hurt my arches and aren't I afraid of slipping. I do pay attention to the very smooth gym floor  and to that end I'm also working to toughen up the soles of my feet a bit by walking on safe rough surfaces outside a bit most  days, but I love how my feet and toes seem to be more actively involved during exercise. (Don't have as many socks to wash either, lol).


Yesterday after I got home from a Zumba class I posted about doing it barefoot on Facebook and how  another  barefoot participant was in the room. Turns out she's always been a dance exerciser and never wears shoes either. I got a fast response from another Wilmington area friend, personal trainer and kickbox instructor Rebecca Verlangieri, who commented, "I love working out barefoot. Its become a common misconception that we cannot." And then she sent me a couple of links to articles and sites that address the health and rightness of working out barefoot:

http://corefitnmotion.com/

http://movnat.com/

So thanks to Chris for waking me up to barefoot exercise and to Rebecca for added support and the web links.

I've also noticed a bunch of my friends around the country talk or write about some nearly-barefoot athletic footwear called Vibram 5 Fingers and more recently in magazine ads and on websites I've seen loads of ads for the New Balance NB Minimus line.

(Btw, I don't work for or get anything for mentioning Vibram or NB products, I just think they're interesting.)

Here's a little more about each line:

Vibram Five Fingers -

The most noticeable feature of the Vibram Five Finger line is the individual toe pieces. Here's what Vibram says, "Our revolutionary design makes feet healthier by allowing them to move more naturally and freely.
The typical human foot is an anatomical marvel of evolution with 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised." Website: www.VibramFiveFingers.com




NB Minimus -

I read somewhere that the NB Minimus line is based on the Vibram Five Finger design, but I don't know that nor does New Balance mention it. Here's what they do say, "Inspired by barefoot running and designed to be used with Good Form Running principles, NB Minimus introduces an entirely new running experience. A challenge for experienced runners. A great starting point for beginners looking to develop good form. NB Minimus offers the comfort of a running shoe in a minimal, low-to-the-ground package."
Website: http://www.shopnewbalance.com/minimus

Both companies offer men's and women's shoes in a variety of styles for different athletic or lifestyle purposes. Loads of color combinations, too.

Back in the day when I was reviewer-boy I'd get busy contacting the vendors to get some product to test and write about. Now, however, I'm hoping I can get a pair for my birthday or Christmas (hint) or may even eventually buy some myself. I'd love to try both styles, actually, but that's reviewer-boy talking. I think either would be cool to compare to barefoot exercise (and since winter's coming, even in temperate southeastern North Carolina, I don't think I'll be going barefoot outside too much). Oh, and if anyone is so inclined, I like the red and black combinations (can you tell? lol).

Getting Ready for P90X2

I'm in my fourth week of P90X. I took two weeks off after finishing the first cycle of P90X at the end of July and now I'm back at it.


I found that I started this second round a bit slowly, but now I'm fully back into it (for example, I can feel yesterday's workout a bit in my shoulders, lol).

There are many reasons I'm working P90X hard, but one of them is I want to give myself a good chance to be ready for P90X2 when it comes out later this fall.

I pre-ordered P90X2 the first day it was available (September 1st) so hopefully I'll be among the first to receive it. I know the demand is high and people who delay in pre-ordering P90X2 may need to wait till 2012 to receive it.

The other good things about pre-ordering P90X2 are:

• free shipping (saves about $40)
• your credit card isn't charged till the order ships
• as with every Beachbody product, you can return it in 30 days if it's not right for you and get your money back (except for any shipping charges)
• two extra workouts are included in pre-order versions
• weekly sweepstakes drawings from among the people who preorder - the earlier you order, the more often you're in the sweepstakes (works for me).

So now I'm off to workout again, enjoying the workout, enjoying the day, and getting ready for P90X2!

If you want  to pre-order P90X2, please feel free to visit my website, www.BrucetheCoach.com to get your order in early!

Work in Progress - My Personal Transformation

The photo above tells most of the story.

I've lost weight and body fat, gained strength, I have more energy, and I'm even sleeping a bit more (which wasn't an original goal but it does feel fine). Not noted in the photo above is the fact that my doctor has taken me off blood pressure and cholesterol medication I was on for about 10 years.

Please note that I'm not giving nor am I qualified to give medical advice, and certainly others' results may vary, but this is how it's worked for me so far.

I know I'm not in line for any prizes, and I'm still a work in progress (I'd still like to get my weight and body fat down some more and my strength up a bit), but I'm truly grateful for the transformation so far from Shakeology and P90X.

It hasn't been hard. In fact it's been fun.

If you have similar goals and would like to talk with me about them, please feel free to email or call.

Email: Bruce@BrucetheCoach.com

Phone: 910-297-8753

Or, for more info about or to order P90X or Shakeology, go right to my Beachbody website:
www.BrucetheCoach.com

p.s. There are a couple of ways to get discounts on P90X and Shakeology, call me on this if you'd like to know more.

100 Days + 90 - A Fitness and Weight Loss Journey

100 Days Can Indeed Make a Difference

Well, I finished both my initial 90-day weight loss challenge and my 10-day interim challenge.

The 90-Day challenge was all about isolating one variable, adding Beachbody's premium meal replacement shake Shakeology to my diet. (Full disclaimer, if you've somehow not seen this elsewhere, I am an independent Beachbody coach, so I have "skin in the game" when I recommend it. - Actually, and this is a good thing, I now have less skin in the game before because  I lost loads of weight with this highly nutritional addition.)

In that 90 days I lost 20 pounds. The biggest difference from having Shakeology for lunch that I noticed was that I no longer had between meal cravings. Part of that is because Shakeology has a glycemic index rating of only 24, which means it burns very slowly, releasing energy very gradually, rather than quickly like candy or cookies, for example, so blood sugar doesn't go up and down rapidly (another reason the American Diabetic Association supports the use of Shakeology and the whole range of Beachbody fitness programs).

When I finished the 90 day program, I wanted to have a short time to get ready for adding a more intense exercise program. So for another 10 days I kept on having Shakeology for lunch, and about half the days also for breakfast, but I also added 40-60 minutes of moderately intense (for me) exercise - like a hard bike ride or working out to an intermediate exercise program on DVD.  I was surprised by the weight change results, when I actually lost another 8 pounds in ten days!

Overall in 100 days I went from 181.5 pounds to 153 pounds - I know that photo above says "approximately 180 and 150 pounds", but those are the real numbers, an actual 28.5 weight loss plus 8% body fat reduction.

During the 10 day period I also carefully considered what exercise program to start and eventually settled on P90X. Now for some reasons it was an easy decision:

• I already owned the program
• It is widely known to be very effective at building strength - and bodies
• As the most well known home fitness program in the country, since it's made by Beachbody and I now work with Beachbody, it made sense to know what it's all about and be able to talk about it.

There were, however, two big reasons to choose another program:

• I'm not an elite athlete nor am I in tip-top condition
• I have a ripped bicep tendon in my left arm that went out four years ago and has only partially healed.

In the end, however, I decided to try P90X if I could pass the Fit Test that comes with it. So this past Sunday, May 1st, I took the test. It turned out that I couldn't pass the pull up part of the test (but then the book gave a pass on that one and said most people couldn't do that test but to check out how I did on the others because if I passed the others I could use my own judgment about going ahead. Bottom line, I met or exceeded the minimum standards on all the other tests, so on Monday, May 2nd, I started P90X.

So now I'm only two days into the P90X 90-day program. I've done it both mornings (P90X includes 12 DVDs with a whole bunch of workouts that you do in various combinations) and so far have pretty much gotten through everything. I may not have the best form, lift the most weight, or do the most reps, but I'm doing it and intend to go all the  way through. Maybe I'll have to go through the program multiple times to get "good" at it, but that's ok, my reason for doing it, my 'Big Why' is to eat and exercise healthier so I can keep up with Marge and do my best to be around and be strong and flexible for as long as possible (we're talking about quality of life here).


I'll likely shed a few more pounds as I continue the program. I'd like to get to about 143-145 pounds (my ideal weight). I suspect I'll never get huge musculature with P90X, I don't think I have the genetics or the frame for it, so I likely won't gain too much weight that way (but we'll see). In the meantime, I've already dropped 1% body fat and am down to 16% (from the reading 3 days in a row).

Would I recommend Shakeology to others? Unequivocably yes, not just for weight loss, but also for weight gain if people take it in addition to their normal diet. It's also highly recommendable as an energy shake, for it's vitamins and minerals, for it's core natural nutrition (they say it's the equivalent of 5 plates at the salad bar), as well as for its pre- and pro-biotics, antioxidants, and regulatory aids. It has 18 grams of protein in only 140 calories. Good Stuff.

Would I recommend P90X for everyone? Maybe not. It is an extreme, intense workout program that comes with its own nutrition program (which can include Shakeology) and the company is very careful to recommend that you take and pass the Fit Test before starting the program and if you have any doubts to try one of their many, high quality, but less intense programs, either as a substitute for P90X or to get in condition to do P90X. Of course before starting any exercise program you should consult your physician.

If you're wondering about Shakeology, btw, we have a letter to the doctor we can provide that explains what the ingredients are and how they're formulated. We also have great info from a big group of doctors who talk about the various benefits of Shakeology.

I'm passionate about Beachbody, and about fitness and health. Those who have known me over the years know that this interest isn't new.

I'd love to talk with you about any of your own fitness and health goals. I'm not a nutrition or fitness expert, nor am I a certified personal trainer (used to be, but that was in the 1990s). But I know where to find the information you may seek and I'd be happy to be a resource for you.

You can also check out my two Beachbody related websites:

For the full line of Beachbody products and services:
www.BeachBodyCoach.com/BruceTheCoach

For a site focused on Shakeology:
www.Shakeology.com/BruceTheCoach

Beachbody also has a free fitness club you can join  at this site where you can join for free and log your workouts (of any kind) to be entered in daily cash drawings of $300 to $1,000.
Here's my link for Team Beachbody:
www.TeamBeachBody.com/BrucetheCoach

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 4-5--11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with a fitness tip, birthdays, and motivation:



"Today, I awoke to a morning of wonder and awe" - Being Bruce

Day 77 - 162.0 pounds, 19% body fat, bp 104/71, resting pulse77
Exercise: 30 minute walk
Intake:
- Several (3-5) cups of black coffee
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast -Quinoa with onions, oil,  and hot sauce.
- lunch - Shakeology chocolate with 1% milk, blueberries and strawberries

- dinner -  Chicken Caesar

Comment: Just returned from a 7 day trip. Mostly stuck to diet except  only had Shakeology 3 times. Weight stayed the same, but didn't lose, which I thought I might - despite lots of pizza and party buffet food! Back on track today, 15 days to go in this challenge!

. Overall Progress so far:

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	4/5/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	162.0	150	61.9%
Body fat %	25	19	18	85.7%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	24.6	23	64.6%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-29-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with a fitness tip, birthdays, and motivation:



"Gratitude improves your emotional posture. Try it and you'll see!" - Being Bruce

Day 69 - 162.5 pounds, 20% body fat, bp 116/75, resting pulse70
Exercise: 30 minute walk
Intake:
- Several (3-5) cups of black coffee
- 2 oz berry-based fruit juice with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast -Quinoa with onions, oil,  and hot sauce.
- lunch - Shakeology chocolate with 1% milk, blueberries and strawberries

- dinner -  Vineyard Chicken

Comment: Hmm, on another plateau, in the low 160s. .Could be a lot worse, of course, but I want to press on. Patience .....

. Overall Progress so far:

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/29/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	162.5	150	58.7%
Body fat %	25	20	18	71.4%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	24.7	23	62.9%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-28-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with a fitness tip, birthdays, and motivation:



"Smiles and frowns communicate more clearly and powerfully than any words. Use the first freely, the second with care. - Being Bruce

Day 68 - 163.0 pounds, 20% body fat, bp 129/83, resting pulse 69
Exercise: 30 minute light aerobics
Intake:
- Several (3-5) cups of black coffee
- 2 oz berry-based fruit juice with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast -Quinoa with onions, oil,  and hot sauce. Protein bar
- lunch - Shakeology chocolate with 1% milk, blueberries and strawberries

- dinner -  chicken pizza

Comment: Ooops, well, the triple breakfast didn't work, lol. Weight stayed the same since yesterday but my body fat back up to 20%. Guess I won't try messing around and just stick with the program.

. Overall Progress so far:

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/28/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	163.0	150	58.7%
Body fat %	25	20	18	71.4%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	24.8	23	61.3%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-15-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with the weather, birthdays, and inspiration:




"The gratitude keys = your senses, your emotions, your intuition, and your mind. It's all there, just be open." - Being Bruce

Day 55 - 166.0 pounds, 20% body fat, bp 117/77, resting pulse72
Exercise: 30 Shakeology Workout
Intake:
- Several (3-5) cups of black coffee
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast - 1 cup of  Quinoa with EVO (with chopped onions and habanero sauce)
- lunch - Shakeology chocolate with almond soy milk, blueberries and strawberries

- dinner - .Chicken, bean, and sausage casserole and Romaine salad
Comment: Ooops, I did it again. Thought I was off this plateau, but apparently not. Well, I  feel wonderful and strong, so will just keep at it and I know its going to work out. 

Overall Progress so far:

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/15/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	166.0	150	49.2%
Body fat %	25	20	18	71.4%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	25.1	23	51.4%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-14-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with the weather, birthdays, and inspiration:




"In any circumstance, repeat, any circumstance, there is reason for joy - not always readily apparent, but always there." - Being Bruce

Day 54 - 165.0 pounds, 21% body fat, bp 110/76, resting pulse79
Exercise: 30 Minute walk
Intake:
- Several (3-5) cups of black coffee
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast - 1 cup of  Quinoa with EVO (with chopped onions and habanero sauce)
- lunch - Shakeology chocolate with almond soy milk, blueberries and strawberries
- dinner - .Tuna casserole and Romaine salad
Comment: Great! This will be a big week. Progress last week but didn't get quite as far as I wanted. Feeling great, though. (Maybe the two extra meals yesterday didn't help? lol)


Overall Progress so far:

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/14/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	165.0	150	52.4%
Body fat %	25	21	18	57.1%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	25.1	23	54.7%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-12-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with the weather, birthdays, and inspiration:



"My formula for getting over myself = Gratitude + Attitude + Readiness." - Being Bruce

Day 52 - 163.5 pounds, 21% body fat, bp 123/83, resting pulse78
Exercise: 30 Minute Shakeology workout
Intake:
- Several (3-5) cups of black coffee
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast - 1 cup of  Quinoa with EVO (with chopped onions and habanero sauce)
- lunch - Shakeology chocolate with almond soy milk, blueberries and strawberries
- dinner - .
Comment: Wow, another pound today! I've 'released' 18 pounds. Grateful. Not going to take it for granted, but will stay on program.

Overall Progress so far:

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/12/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	163.5	150	57.1%
Body fat %	25	21	18	57.1%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	24.9	23	59.6%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Kick Start 03-11-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with the weather, birthdays, and inspiration:



"Seek inspiration from those who, though their circumstances are worse than yours, happily take positive action." - Being Bruce

Day 51 - 164.5 pounds, 21% body fat, bp 122/79, resting pulse75
Exercise: 30 Minute Shakeology workout
Intake:
- Several (3-5) cups of black coffee -
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast - 1 cup of  Quinoa with EVO (with chopped onions and habanero sauce)
- lunch - Shakeology Greenberry with almond soy milk, blueberries and strawberries
- dinner - Pasta with Marge's amazing meat sauce, big  green salad.
Comment: All right! Lost  another pound. Down 17 pounds! Why is it this is actually seeming easier?

Overall Progress so far3

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/11/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	164.5	150	54.0%
Body fat %	25	21	18	57.1%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	25.0	23	56.3%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-10-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with the weather, birthdays, and inspiration:



"Deeply felt gratitude will never fail you." - Being Bruce


Day 50 - 165.5 pounds, 21% body fat, bp 117/78, resting pulse76
Exercise: 30 Minute Shakeology workout
Intake:
- Several (3-5) cups of black coffee -
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast - 1 cup of  Quinoa with EVO (with chopped onions and habanero sauce)
- lunch - Shakeology Greenberry with almond soy milk, blueberries and blackberries,
- dinner - ??
Comment: Kept the weight off, so that's a good thing. Today will be another day of progress. Two notches in my belt so far, so a noticeable difference in how my clothes fit (a good thing, since before they were kinda, um, tight-ish.).

Overall Progress so far3

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/10/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	165.5	150	50.8%
Body fat %	25	21	18	57.1%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	25.2	23	53.0%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-9-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with the weather, birthdays, and inspiration:



"Deeply felt gratitude will never fail you." - Being Bruce


Day 50 - 165.5 pounds, 21% body fat, bp 117/78, resting pulse76
Exercise: 30 Minute Shakeology workout
Intake:
- Several (3-5) cups of black coffee -
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast - 1 cup of  Quinoa with EVO (with chopped onions and habanero sauce)
- lunch - Shakeology Greenberry with almond soy milk, blueberries and blackberries,
- dinner - ??
Comment: Kept the weight off, so that's a good thing. Today will be another day of progress. Two notches in my belt so far, so a noticeable difference in how my clothes fit (a good thing, since before they were kinda, um, tight-ish.).

Overall Progress so far3

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/10/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	165.5	150	50.8%
Body fat %	25	21	18	57.1%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	25.2	23	53.0%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-8-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with the weather, birthdays, and inspiration:


"It helps to know the difference between pleasure and joy. Pleasure is often short-lived and joy is lasting." - Being Bruce


Day 48 - 166.5 pounds, 21% body fat, bp 113/73, resting pulse76
Exercise: 30 minutes Shakeology workout
Intake:
- Several cups of black coffee
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast - 1 cup of  Quinoa with EVO
- lunch - Shakeology chocolate with skim milk, blueberries and blackberries,
- dinner - I  think we're having pizza tonight, not decided yet.
Comment: Today's going to be a  lot of  fun. Seems  like I talk with people about Shakeology a lot, partly because of these blog posts but also because it just comes up when people ask how come I'm losing weight and still have so much energy!

Overall Progress so far3

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/8/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	166.5	150	47.6%
Body fat %	25	21	18	57.1%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	25.4	23	49.7%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-7-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with the weather, birthdays, and inspiration:


"At any moment of confusion, think of something to be grateful for, focus on your passions, and then move forward." - Being Bruce

Today's activity so far :


Day 47 - 167.0 pounds, 21% body fat, bp 122/80, resting pulse 69
Exercise: 30 minutes walking
Intake:
- Several cups of black coffee
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast - 1 cup of  Quinoa with EVO
- lunch - Shakeology chocolate with skim milk, blueberries and blackberries,

- dinner - not sure yet (one thing good about having quinoa for breakfast and Shakeology for lunch is it simplifies the whole decision making thing (and both are super quick and convenient, not to mention healthy!)
Comment:Looking forward to a busy busy week, all good stuff. I'm really enjoying the Beachbody business - doesn't hurt to be focusing on fitness and health a lot of the day, for sure. As I wrote yesterday, this week could be a big turning point in continuing weight loss - would like to be in lower 160s by week's end. Wish me luck (of course it's not about luck, it's about exercise, eating right, and, now, including Shakeology each day, which is making a difference in many ways for me (all good, lol).

Overall Progress so far:

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/7/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	167.0	150	46.0%
Body fat %	25	21	18	57.1%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	25.4	23	48.1%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.

Being Bruce Daily Kick Start 3-4-11

Click on the Play Button below to see today's Being Bruce Kick Start video with the weather, birthdays, and inspiration:
"Choice - the most powerful gift of existence." - Being Bruce

Today's activity so far :

Day 44 - 167.5 pounds, 20% body fat, bp 117/82, resting pulse 81
Exercise: 30 minutes walking
Intake:
- Several cups of black coffee
- 2 oz OJ with vitamins and supplements
- lots of water
- breakfast - 1 cup of  Quinoa with EVO
- lunch - Shakeology chocolate with skim milk, blueberries and blackberries,
- dinner - 
Comment: Ok, I've pretty much been on a plateau for a week or so but I've kept myself there by really over-doing it for lunch two days in a row. So today I'm back to what I know is best for me and keeps me full of energy. Even though I ate more for lunch the past two days, I was loggy and sleepy because of too  many of the wrong kind of carbs. Up and at 'em today!, feels great.

Overall Progress so far:

Bruce's Progress Chart	1/20/2011	3/4/2011	4/20/2011
	Start	Today	90-Day Goal	% of Goal
Weight (lbs)	181.5	167.5	150	44.4%
Body fat %	25	20	18	71.4%
BMI (Body Mass Index)	27.6	25.5	23	46.4%

My diet is based on Beachbody's Shakeology:



Please note: I am an independent distributor with Beachbody and I benefit if people buy Shakeology. I make a big deal about it because I think it's fabulous and nothing else on the market compares, so that's why I brought it into our business.