So why am I confused?  2 weeks ago I spent 7 days with a business colleague, who I will introduce to you later this year, who is launching her product and asked me to contribute.  I love to help people- that it why I am in this business.  Truly.

When I get a testimonial from a client whose life is now BETTER because I have touched it somehow, I automatically get energized to go out and find more people who need help!

I came away from my time with her and felt certain that I was on the right path but not sure what the next step to take was.  Can you relate at all?

Most of you who are entrepreneurs will totally get what I am saying because you can relate to all the ideas and ways in which you want to serve the world. It can get overwhelming.

For all of you who are not in business for yourself, it’s like knowing you have $100 to spend on 1 outfit and your favorite store, the one where all the clothes fit you perfectly, is having a HUGE sale and now you can only choose 1 outfit even though you could “justify” buying more because of the sale status.

I am the kid in the candy store with 10 cents and I want it all.

We’ll get back to my dilemma later but I want to ask you if you are confused.  Are you?  Watch this video I made for you and let me know if you can relate.

I am confused.

I think “not knowing” what to do in the gym or with exercise creates shame in people.

I think because there are so many publications that give you the “how to” experience that people become their own personal trainers hoping that what they do will work.

And for some of you – it has!  Congratulations!  You are not the group of people I am speaking to unless you have also incurred an injury during the time you have hired yourself to be your own personal trainer. If that is the case, you may want to keep reading as well.

Now I am the first to tell you that personal trainers only need to go to a weekend course in order to become a personal trainer.  They do not even need to step foot in the gym to do it either!  They can do it all online.

This should scare you.  Just a little bit.

The only, ONLY incentive to a trainer to ever get more education is if it’s required by their employer or they WANT to learn more.

Anyone can hang a shingle on a door, have a good body and personality and call themselves a trainer.  It happens every day.

In fact,  you may have met many trainers who do not seem very smart to you which makes you believe that this exercise thing must not be that hard-not real scientific.

Wrong.

But today is not about me educating you about what most trainers do not know (and I used to teach them so I can tell you first hand), today is about me telling you ITS OKAY IF YOU ARE CONFUSED about anything having to do with exercise or weight loss.

Now I can’t teach you all that I have learned in my 13 years of personal training but I can start you off with a few simple questions that would help you determine what to do next.

1. Have you been doing the same exercise routine for more than 6 months?
2. Would you like more results?
3. What is your #1 goal and are you 100% committed to it?
4. If not, what is the #1 reason that stands in your way?
5. What do you need to overcome this obstacle?

Once you answer those questions honestly, you can choose 1 thing to focus on that will shift your body in a positive direction towards the results you want.

I hope that helps.  Now back to me.

I have a MILLION ideas, I am not kidding, of how I can serve people in feeling gorgeous and confident in a bathing suit without starving or killing themselves in the gym. And it’s my turn to focus.

If you have some inspired ideas or I have touched your life in someway that you feels others would greatly benefit from- I ‘d love to hear it!!

I am not ashamed of asking for help.  I just spent 5 FULL days of being coached and learning about how to shift and grow my business so I can fully live my mission.  It’s scary, I am vulnerable but I need help too.

So I hope that you are also in the place of knowing that asking for help when it comes to weight loss and exercise is a powerful commitment to yourself that you want the best body and health you can have.

You can reach me at 800 571 5722 x 84 or email at info@invisiblefitness.com

We also have a 6 Week Beach Body free call coming up so register at http://www.6weekbeachbody.comI am

Join me for FREE on Saturday November 7^th at 10:15am at The Scottsdale Weight Loss Center where you will find your Easy Exercise Solution!

What you will learn:

What is stopping you from regular exercise

How to create a 15 min exercise routine that works!

Which exercises increase metabolism

Why you don’t need a gym

Why a plateau is a good thing and more!

JJ Flizanes has been a personal trainer since 1996 and has had her own company, Invisible Fitness, since May 2001.  JJ is well known in the media, she has appeared on NBC, KTLA, CBS, and Fox 11 as well as been featured in many local and national magazines.  She was chosen as best personal trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine’s Global Black Book and one of the featured trainers in Shape Magazine in 2003. JJ was chosen as a finalist for IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year 2009.Before starting her own company, she was the Director of Education for New York Sports Club in New York City. She is also the Fitness Expert for the Nourishing Wellness Medical Center’s Anti Aging Program in Redondo Beach and is also the Wellness Expert for FKC International.

Where:  Scottdale Weight Loss Center

9989 N. 95th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
(480) 366-4400

When: Saturday  Nov 7th, 10:15am

Cost: FREE

To Register:  call 800 571 5722

BONUS:  All participants will also get a free gift!

I recorded a video for you with the help of Jeanne Peters RD of Nourishing Wellness and please note, I had just gotten back from my own workout so I am as real looking as they get here!  There were no makeup artists or airbrushing for me!!  My head gets cut off a little from time to time but you know what I look like so focus on the words I am speaking and what I show you with the bones!

Since our 6 Week Beach Body Program uses MIND TOOLS such as EFT, hypnosis and meditation, I wanted to share with you WHY and HOW you can lose weight by changing the way you THINK.

For some of you , the idea of hypnosis is being told to act like a chicken.  Wrong.

This article was written by Susan French, C.Ht.

Hypnosis is a powerful tool but exactly HOW does it work? The real magic is that hypnosis works as both a “magic wand” and as a “snowball gathering snow.”

Let’s take a look at each separately and then how they work together.

The magic-wand effect is when you have a hypnosis session and your issue is solved instantly and without further effort. Magic!

The snowball effect is what you experience with several hypnosis sessions, in which each session reinforces and enhances the relief created by previous sessions.

The reality is that both effects create permanent change. Hypnosis creates the initial change. Reinforcement ensures that the change lasts.

Reinforcement occurs when you regularly use a reinforcement CD made by your hypnotherapist, induce self-hypnosis, or through continued subsequent sessions with your hypnotherapist. Your hypnotherapist guides you in creating the initial change and reinforcing it, thereby accomplishing your goal of permanent, positive change.

Now, let’s look at it a little more closely.

We use hypnosis to change responses and behaviors. All responses and behaviors are learned. All that hypnosis really does is cause very rapid learning (or relearning) to take place so that new responses and behaviors become automatic.

Hypnosis allows this rapid learning to occur by interrupting the conscious, critical factor of the mind/brain. For reasons of survival, the critical factor of the mind/brain slows down the learning process. However, when those initial survival reasons are no longer necessary, it makes sense to interrupt or bypass the critical factor, which is precisely what hypnosis does – painlessly, safely, and effectively.

We know that no learning is INSTANT. You didn’t learn to ride a bike instantly. You didn’t learn to speak instantly. You didn’t learn to read or write instantly. You were taught the initial ideas and methods and those ideas were repeatedly reinforced until they become automatic.

Hypnosis allows that learning or relearning to happen more rapidly. However, as with any learning process, it needs to be reinforced. Thus, hypnosis is both a “magic wand” and a “snowball gathering snow.”

Let’s take a look at Joanna’s experience to get a better idea of exactly how hypnosis DOES work:

Joanna was sitting in the waiting room at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute. She was waiting for her first hypnotherapy appointment. She was desperate to lose weight. She had lost and gained at least three hundred pounds in her thirty-two years. Now, here she was, seventy pounds overweight again. She had tried everything.

She had heard some say that hypnosis could be like a magic wand. She had heard others say it didn’t work at all. Her best friend Martha had just lost fifty-five pounds using hypnosis. She said it was easy and it worked, but that Joanna would have to do her part too. Would it work for her?

If this reminds you of your own questions about weight loss and hypnosis, keep reading.

We can call the habit of overeating a food addiction, compulsive overeating, or a self-destructive habit. Whatever we call it, though, once that kind of behavior takes control, you will need to unlearn old, destructive behaviors and relearn new, constructive ones.

Joanna followed through with her hypnosis for weight loss. She learned the reasons she ate for comfort and she altered those behaviors. She learned that eating good, fueling foods were essential, and she incorporated those ideas into her daily life. She also learned that she needed to move her body more. Exercise became her oasis. It became her “me-time” every day.

Joanna lost her seventy pounds easily and happily and has maintained her new weight because she created a new relationship with food, with her body, and with life itself. That was five years ago.

Hypnosis makes the process of transforming counterproductive behaviors to productive behaviors easy, effective, and empowering. Any behavior that does not serve your goals and dreams can be changed using hypnosis.

Hypnosis accelerates your learning process so that what might have taken you twenty years to “learn” can be restructured in four to six sessions.

Hypnosis is being used in major medical institutions, such as, Harvard Medical School, UCLA, Stanford, Kaiser Permanente, Beth Israel Deaconness Hospital, and many burn centers, to ease pain, fear, and treatment [, and accelerate healing] for their patients.

Hypnosis is approved by, both, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) for Complementary and Alternative Medical Treatment and as an adjunct to traditional treatments.

The moral of this story is this: if you are wondering if hypnosis is a magic wand or a cumulative change response (snowball effect), it is both!

If all else has failed and you are ready and committed to achieving your goals, it is time to try hypnosis. It works!

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And that’s why we use it as the foundation for changing your MIND on the 6 Week Beach Body Program.  We want you to have long lasting change, not temporary results!   http://www.6weekbeachbody.com

Please take a minute to read one of my favorite speeches given by Marianne Williamson. I think the title of this is ” Don’t Shrink”.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves,“Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Every time I read that I feel like there is nothing else I could say to make this point any clearer. You always have at least 2 options.  You could go left or right, think of something as right or wrong, go forward or backward as well as many other choices, I am sure you get the picture.  And in life, I believe you have the choice to believe that you are here to serve the world or you are here to get from the world.

Can you have both of those beliefs at the same time?  Of course, but on a day to day basis how do you look at the world and what do you expect?  From way back in my childhood, I can remember KNOWING that I had to give back, serve the world and help people.   And through my journey, it has been revealed to me the most effective and joyous ways I can do that.  Just be me.

Live my life to the best of my ability and be an example of what it is I stand for.  Walk my walk and talk my talk. As I learn and grow, I share that with people around me.  I use my life as an example for others to learn from.  I put it ALL out there because I feel that is how I connect with the teachers I have as well.

It’s inspiring to me to watch other women grow, change, become wildly successful, find their perfect mate, be insanely happy and that inspires me to do the same.  If I looked around, read the paper, watched the news every day, I would probably believe that life is hopeless, hard, unhappy and negative.  But I don’t.

I CHOOSE my thoughts.  I search for inspiration. I choose to live my life as an example of inspiration to others who might not otherwise believe in themselves.  I create products and programs that serve as a way for me to reach out and help others overcome the obstacles in their way.  I love what I do and I love who I am.  And everything I stand for is also about helping you to love who you are too.

“Hi JJ, I had to write to tell you I think you are really gifted at what you do and are passionate about. I can’t tell you how much your own openness and naked honesty about yourself helps me and encourages me in my journey to health, wealth and overall life satisfaction!

I am feeling very encouraged today and feel this sense of encouragement and empowerment that came from our session today will carry me over to the next week, and so on. Thank You again for being true and authentic!” Brenda R, CA

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Believe it or not, a lot of my clients both in person and over the phone are people who are already exercising regularly but are NOT seeing results.  One of my favorite clients above, Michael Schapa, was one of those very diligent people who exercised 4-5 times a week consistently.  But he wasn’t seeing any results in terms of muscle building, increasing metabolism or weight loss.

" I have lost 28 pounds so far and muscles galore at age 67!"

Click on the picture above to watch his recent video testimonial and this is also what he had to say a few months back:

“There is no doubt that I could not have achieved the weight loss without J.J’s relentless innovative and ever changing exercise program. J.J.’s routines are highly effective as well as being sensitive not to aggravate old injuries. Consequently I had the gain with no pain. J.J actually listens to my joints for any creeks and squeaks to make sure that no injuries are being developed.

On top of being extremely knowledgeable in the field of physical fitness, she also has a great personality. She knows how to motivate and encourage moving on to ever more advanced routines.  I found her next-day follow ups to be very helpful in judging how effective the workout was. Put all this together, assures me that I am in very good hands indeed. In short, she is a keeper.” Dr. Michael Schapa

I decided to dedicate on section of this newsletter to all of you out there who are already exercising often but not seeing results.  I am going to explain the principle I use and hope you will apply it to your workouts as well.

It’s called the FITT Principle:  Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

Frequency: The number of days or workout sessions- for example I did 2 in one day last week.   In the morning I did legs and some cardio and at night I went dancing.  That counts as 2 sessions towards frequency.

Intensity: The level at which you are working.  We use both RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) and heart rate. Our RPE scale is 1-10, 1 = being on the couch resting and 10= the hardest you could ever work and almost collapse.  You will rate the RPE as well as log the heart rate information.  THRZ (Target Heart Rate Zone) will also be KEY in seeing your fitness level improve and making your exercise time efficient. 

Time: The duration of the exercise.

Type: Walking, running, biking, resistance training, etc…..

You can apply this principle to both resistance and cardio training, but please make separate graphs for each.

Here is an example of an 8 week plan or record.

.

F.                 I.                    T.                T

F.                  I.                  T.                  T

I would like you to create 2 charts and fill in the first lines with what you are doing NOW.  How long have you been doing the same thing?  Is it still working?  If the answers are, “too long” and “ no”, then figure out which of the FITT principles you could adjust.  I would recommend adjusting 1-2, NOT all 4.

Do this for your resistance training as well to see why you might not be experiencing the same results as you may have when you started.

Just because you exercise regularly doesn’t mean you are getting the most out of it- or even doing what is best for you to make the changes you seek!

I’d love to help- so let me know if you could use some tweaking!  http://www.invisiblefitness.com

How 60 seconds a day can change your life

I had a question last night from a participant on the 6 Week Beach Body Program and she started out by saying, “can I ask a stupid question?”

I replied of course with “there are no stupid questions”

She asked “it’s been very hot here so when do I exercise and what do I do?”

She must have been reading my mind!  I was just about the finish this article and considered this exact topic!  I decided to combine it with my original idea for the focus of this quick tip guide because the answers for both questions go hand in hand with each other.

Last week I told you about a book called The Kaizen Way. As I am finishing the book this week, I keep making parallels to how I use this everyday with clients and how the book has given me some new questions to ask and things to suggest- I love it!  I love learning and sharing.  The best teachers are the best students first- in my opinion.

When you want to change a habit or add a new habit, we first have to deal with the resistance to change. Some of us actually love change but we are not the masses.  If you find yourself always putting off trying something new or wanting more out of your life than you currently have, I ask you to consider one of the actions I will describe below for only 60 seconds a day.

60 seconds a day?  Yes.

Psychology research suggests that people who use a journal to chart their emotions receive the same kind of psychological benefit as those who talk to a doctor.  The reason?  Writing in a journal is effective because it is a pretty big deal for most to decide that your emotional life is valuable enough to commit to a book that no one will ever see. Research suggests that clients are supposed to write in the journal for at least 15 minutes a day to receive it’s benefits but the Kaizen Way tested out 60 seconds a day for a month.   One minute after a few weeks became 2 and then 5. At the end of 2 months, the patients had cut down 30-50% of their sabotaging behaviors suggesting that 60 seconds a day was an effective way to start.

So what does this have to do with working out when it’s hot?

When heat, or any weather condition, is a viable excuse to do nothing, start with the 60 second Kaizen method.  This is what I suggested on the call last night. Here is what I said.

1. Workout in the morning before it gets too hot.  If you are already in a routine, do it then or create a 1- 15 minute workout you can do.  I gave the option of an exercise called the Tap Back that I have posted on my You Tube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/jjflizanes)
2. Workout in the evening when it cools off- you don’t have to do a very intense workout- just spend 10-15 minutes with some floor resistance exercises or a brisk walk or stair climbing.
3. Lunch break- find an air conditioned room and do some of the same I have mentioned above. There are many 10-15 minute routines you can make up to target core, legs, upper body or to get your heart rate up.
4. Swimming
5. Ice Skating

Keeping SOMETHING going instead of giving up and getting off track will help you stay consistent, feeling great about the results you will be getting from these activities and eager to do more when the weather cools off and you are able to schedule in a longer or more intense workout.

But also allow yourself time to rest and relax too! The summer is about playing and vacation so do not forget to feed your body and soul some vacation time. There are plenty of water/ ocean activities that are good for your body and will be a lot of fun too!

We’ve been talking a lot on the 6 Week Beach Body Program about what to do after you lose the 5-15 pounds to keep it off and to keep getting results.  I have come up with 5 “tricks” that I realize I practice all the time that you may not.

1. A Shake a day- I have about 4 brands that I recommend for people to replace 1 meal with a high quality, nutrient dense shake.  Most people rush one meal at least and would benefit both with sustained energy and reduction of empty calories by having one shake a day.  You can have it at any meal- in fact last week I replaced dinner with a shake because I didn’t feel like cooking and my husband was out with his family for dinner.  Breakfast is the most common time to have a shake but all that matters is when it is best for you.

2. Exercise with a friend- not for every workout, but maybe 1-2 a week, schedule exercise with a partner.  I find it very efficient to have girl time or friend time WHILE you are hiking, power walking, swimming, dancing or doing a circuit training. When I was dancing more, it was built into my life several times a week and I loved that. You will make it more important if you schedule with someone and you will be diligent in making it happen.

3. Keep starch to once a day-breads, rice, pasta, crackers may have a bit of fiber but generally are calorically dense foods.  Forget the food pyramid and adopt a caveman way of eating with protein, nuts, seeds , fruits and veggies.  If you love your starch, have it only once a day.

4. Eat your biggest meal at lunch-We need the most amount of calories generally in the middle of the day. Again, I said generally so if you sleep til noon and work til 11, you will need to adjust your “middle of the day” time.

5. Include cardio and resistance training in your workout-because alot of cardio does not build muscle, you only benefit with calories burned from cardio while you are doing it and maybe up to 15-20 minutes after.  I call cardio your short term plan.  You burn calories in the now.  But it won’t increase your metabolism.  Resistance training is your long term weight los plan that helps you keep the weight off, maintain a high metabolism and keeps you firm and tone looking.

Please let me know if we can help you with any of the above information.  Remember: Health is a habit- not an event.

Interested in our 6 Week Beach Body Program?  We have a free call coming up soon!  http://www.6weekbeachbody.com

I think it was last week that I crawled into bed after reading a few blogs that I told my husband of my epiphany.  It wasn’t “really” an epiphany; it was more of an awareness that I was ready to confront and admit.  I have been trying to be someone else in certain areas of my life.  And it’s not comfortable!

There are some people out there that I want to model- I think we all need role models!  But I have to “keep in check” that I don’t want to model EVERYTHING about them. It’s usually just one aspect.

This is a critical lesson for me at this point because I am shopping my book for an agent.  And I need to know EXACTLY who I am and who I speak to. As well as whom I am NOT.  For instance, there is a famous trainer that has claimed the name “America’s Toughest Trainer”- you probably know who I mean.

Well along with that title, you get an idea of attitude, beliefs, methods and how you may react to that.  I call it the Boot camp Trainer.  I am not THAT and nor do I respond to that- ever.  For me, “boot camp” trainers treat everyone the same, they yell and scream and push you til you drop.  People “need” them to work hard so it’s basically a glorified baby-sitting position with the ego added benefit of feeling like a star who is running the show.  THAT IS NOT ME.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is the “yogalates” style training and classes that people claim to be more spiritual and centering (I have met some of the RUDEST Yoga people in the world!!  I once went to a grand opening yoga studio in Santa Monica and they were bumping in to me left and right and not one person ever looked back to say, excuse me or I am sorry!)  There is an attitude that can come with this “holier than though” essence that some spiritual posers have.  It’s such a hypocrisy.  And THAT is a pet peeve.  I am not THIS either.

I fall somewhere in the middle.  I believe in working smarter AND harder but efficiently.  I practice have balance in life in ALL areas and the “how you do something is how you do everything” mentality. I believe in having fun and “unplugging”.  I believe in a well rounded program that looks at everything and gives it equal value- workouts, food, stress, hormones, relationships, etc…

So what do I call myself?????????????????

What is a sexy, sellable, “I want that too” title that I can give myself that those of you who are also turned off by the 2 other extremes that I mentioned would be attracted to? I need some help.

It’s my brand.  It’s me.  I offer A LOT of value on many levels and I change my client’s lives, not just their bodies.  So how do I convey that in a 3-4 word title?

Would love any feedback…..the journey of self definition… into a brand.  I love what I do!

What I do is http://www.invisiblefitness.com

http://www.6weekbeachbody.com

http://www.90dayhealthandbodymakeover.com

800 571 5722

This article was written by Oprah’s Dr. Oz and Dr Roizen.

“The best way to keep your job might be to leave your desk. That’s right: The less time you spend sitting on your bottom, the better it might be for your — and your company’s — bottom line.

In a study of entrepreneurs, people who worked out regularly also had companies that performed well. In fact, those who ran regularly were better at meeting their personal goals, and their companies had better boosts in sales than those owned by nonrunners. (The researchers didn’t ask about walkers.) People who stuck to a strength-training regimen were also better at meeting their personal goals than people who don’t lift weights — but their businesses weren’t doing off-the-charts better.

Researchers suspect that the lift in confidence and energy that people get from regular exercise may spill over into their careers, giving them an edge. Plus, getting into shape often means developing a mind-set that accepts and embraces hard work — a definite perk when it comes to moving a business through tough times and beyond……………..”

you can read the rest by searching Dr Oz and the title.  Now my 2 cents.

Duh?

Sorry if that seems simple and offensive but people who take time to take care of their body GENERALLY value themselves more than people who do not.  Therefore the people who care about their body, take action and then have ENERGY to spend giving to others.

If you neglect yourself, you probably neglect other things too.  And you end up being miserable and cranky because you feel badly and you want to lose weight but make the excuse that you don’t have time.  People know what your priorities are by WHAT and HOW you do things.  If you want change in your body or your wealth, it might be time to rearrange your priorities.

You get one body.        That’s it.     How are you treating yours?