My Top 8 Tips For Beating The Holiday Bulge

Eating well is not about being 100% perfect every day, every meal, especially over the holidays. However, you shouldn’t treat the holidays as a free pass to eat whatever you want, or you’re setting yourself up for disaster and possible regret come January 1st. Try some of my favorite tips to help you stay on track during the holidays.  

For years I’ve stressed the importance of accountability and it's my #1 tip today. Whether it's finding a workout partner, posting your meals, joining a group, keeping a food journal, or writing out your goals, accountability is key to your success. If you’re looking for an accountability group before the holidays, or you want ME to be your accountability partner, you can always join one of my Facebook challenges.  

1. Accountability is key 

I have workout partners for every single workout, because I know when I don’t it’s too easy to just blow it off. Finding a workout partner, posting your meals, joining a group like my Facebook challenge, keeping a food journal, or writing out your goals, are all great ways to stay accountable, and accountability is the key to your success.   

2. Offer to host the party 

By hosting the party or dinner yourself, you are in control of the foods that are served, so you can substitute unhealthy ingredients and dishes for healthier options. Controlling food supply is easier when you’re the one in control. 

3. Don’t skip meals 

It’s tempting to save your appetite for all of the delicious food at a holiday gathering, but you’re also setting yourself up to overindulge and make bad choices. Before your holiday meal, eat a protein- and healthy-fat-packed snack such as veggies and humus or celery with nut butter. Protein and fat help you cut your cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. 

4. Start smart 

Start your meal with soup and salad or fresh veggies, and avoid snacking before your meal on appetizers made with refined flour or sugary treats. Volunteer to bring something so you’re guaranteed to have at least one healthy dish you enjoy and can load up.   

5. Rethink your drinks 

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and sends you down a slippery slope of bad choices. Most alcoholic beverages are also filled with sugar and empty calories. Limit alcohol intake, or better yet, avoid it altogether. If you do indulge on a drink or two, drink water in between and make the rest of your beverages sparkling water, tea or water with lemon or lime.  

6. Eat mindfully 

I’ve been talking a lot about mindfulness lately, and that’s because I’ve realized how important it is! Before each meal, take five deep breaths, and tune into how hungry you really are. As you eat, focus on flavors, colors and smells, and try to put your fork down between bites. Halfway through your meal, pause, put down your fork and take a few more deep breaths. Assess your hunger on and ask yourself, “How much more food do I need to feel satisfied without feeling uncomfortable?” 

7. Don’t cave to peer pressure 

We’ve all been there when the well-meaning friend or relative asks you why you’re not having a piece of their homemade fudge or having another glass of wine. Just know that no one will feel insulted if you explain, “I’m here for the company, not just the food.” 

8. Set your intention 

Before indulging in holiday food and spirits and desserts, set an intention for the event such as “I will start with vegetables, limit myself to two glasses of wine and water, and only have two bites of dessert after dinner.” Of course only you know your weaknesses, so you’ll set an intention that feels right for you. Setting an intention makes you less likely to indulge in foods and activities that make you feel less than your best.  

Remember above all else not to beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon. Just do your best and forget the rest!  

Your Pal, 

Tony 

Work Hard, Play Hard, Recover...

Hey Kids, 

Fall is officially here! As you know, for me that means ski season is right around the corner. I spend my off season preparing my legs, heart and lungs for the next time I’ll be cramming my feet into those big clunky boots and clicking into my skis to float down that fluffy pow.  

I always get questions about my ski-prep workout, and to be honest, even if I wasn’t a skier, my workouts wouldn’t be any different. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are always lower body. Until recently, I’ve been doing plyometrics on Monday nights for over fourteen years…now I do it on Wednesday night, and I switched cardio to Monday nights. Friday I typically go for a 6.2 mile run with my good friend Scott Fifer (of Scotty Fifer Scissors fame).   

So here’s the breakdown:  

My cardio routine consists of 3 to 5 minutes on each of the following - Jump rope, Versa Climber, treadmill, stationary bike, Skier’s Edge, and Water Rower, and I rotate for one hour.  

My Plyometrics routine is very similar to the plyo routine I created for P90X, with a few extra reps here and there, and once in a while I mix up the order.  

Lastly, my run varies depending on how I’m feeling, since I still have some mild lingering side effects from the Ramsey Hunt. My runs usually last about an hour, and I can typically run about 6.2 miles. I just do my best and forget the rest! 

If you’re not used to doing lower body three times a week, you should start slow, and always be mindful about recovery. 

I’m a huge fan of recovery, and I use many different methods. Here are my favorites: 

Epsom salt or magnesium salt baths- I’m in the tub at least once a week. Magnesium salts (which my awesome wife turned me on to) are more easily absorbed into the skin than epsom salts and work wonders on sore muscles. Try adding a little essential oil to your bath for the ultimate experience.   

Massages - Though I probably only get massages a few times a year, it’s a great way to work out the kinks. Like foam rolling, the more you do it the better it is. 

Which brings me to foam rolling - Again, something I really should do more often. Like stretching, foam rolling is a valuable tool both before and after a workout. It can be pretty intense, so I like to use the Trigger Point vibrating foam rollers and massage balls, which tones down the intensity. 

Infrared sauna - Probably the most important tool in my recovery arsenal. When I got Ramsey Hunt Syndrome and was facing an uphill battle with nerve damage, a friend of mine brought over his portable infrared light along with a printout of the slew of benefits including some studies on infrared helping to repair nerve damage. There are three different kinds of infrared, near, mid and far, and they all have different benefits, so when I decided to get an infrared sauna to help continue healing from my illness, I got a Sunlighten, which has all three. If you don't want to buy an infrared sauna, there are lots of places where you can book appointment to try it out.   

Lastly, Yoga - I typically go to my friend Ted McDonald’s yoga class every Saturday morning in Malibu. I've been such a huge fan of yoga for so long, because it's the only type of physical movement that I know of that helps me work on strength, balance, flexibility and mindfulness all at the same time.  

So there you have it…work hard, play hard, and most importantly, take time to recover.  

Your Pal, 

Tony

Before You Buy Meat or Fish, READ THIS!

If you’re like me, and you eat meat once in a while, then you want to make sure it’s humanely raised and the highest quality meat around, and that it doesn’t have any antibiotics or hormones. Similarly, the type of fish you eat is just as important, and should only be wild-caught. Here’s why:

Grass fed meat and wild-caught fish is higher in antioxidants, lower in calories, has about 50% more OMEGA 3, and has added immunity and anti-inflammatory benefits.

In fact, the difference between wild-caught and farm raised fish is a completely different nutritional value altogether. Wild-caught salmon has almost half the calories, half the fat, and about 1/6th the Omega 6 (that’s the bad one). Farmed fish have lower Omega 3 which throws off the Omega 3- Omega 6 balance resulting in inflammation.

Farmed fish also contain antibiotics, which we end up consuming with dangerous results. Overuse of antibiotics is causing diseases to become resistant to antibiotics, resulting in 2 million people in the U.S. being infected with drug-resistant superbugs, which kill at least 23,000 people a year. Farm-raised fish is also treated with pesticides, which are killing up to 95% of migrating juvenile wild salmon! And the list goes on!

We face some of the same issues using antibiotics on farm raised animals, yes, even chicken! Then there’s all the hormones, which is routinely injected into young livestock to make them gain weight faster. Synthetic estrogen and testosterone are the most common, which is implanted as a pellet in a cow’s ear at an early age and it releases these hormones throughout the animals’ lives. Initial concerns of these hormones range from hormonal imbalances and weight gain, to increased risks of vaginal and breast cancer. Unfortunately, most studies on these risks are industry-funded and conveniently show “no risk.” However, independent studies suggest a potential cancer risk from these hormones.

My wife used to get frustrated trying to consistently find high-quality meat in the store, and when she did, boy did we have to pay a lot for it. So, I understand that if you’re on a budget it makes it even more difficult to get the most nutritious meat available. However, I urge you, if it’s not in your budget, then you’re better off not eating it at all.

The good news is that my wife finally found the absolute best online source of meat and fish at super low prices, so now we never have to guess about the meat we’re eating again. Though we eat very small quantities of meat, and tons of fresh organic veggies, I still need to know that the meat I am eating isn’t wreaking havoc on my body or the environment.

Secret Academy Episode

Lesson's in Today's Interview:

• What attributed to P90X’s explosive growth and popularity
• Monitoring consumer response and catering to it
• How Tony found his purpose with P90X
• Gaining opportunity requires risk and patience
• “Do your best and forget the rest”
• How to transition to a successful mindset
• Allow variety in your life
• Ideal morning routine to prepare for a successful day
• Living by example
• Having a “tribe” to help with accountability
• Short-term pleasures lead to long-term problems
• Procrastination and inconsistency is survival mode
• Do not delay on initiating your first move

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Yoga to Keep You Sane Through the Holidays

The holidays are a time of joy, thanksgiving, and revelry. But, they are also a time of crowded shopping malls, endless decorating and hosting, and an abundance of sweet treats that knock you off your fitness game every year. The combination of more eating, less time to workout, along with a myriad of emotional stresses brought on by the holidays, can leave you feeling less cheerful and more overwhelmed and holi-dazed.

Yoga can help. These five yoga poses can help you feel more relaxed, grounded and joyful. If you’re looking for more calming yoga moves, Beachbody’s 3 Week Yoga Retreat can help you sail through the holidays with ease.

5 Yoga Poses to Keep You Sane During the Holidays

1. Get grounded: Warrior 1

When holiday lines, traffic, and overall madness has you dashing, dancing and prancing about, it’s important to get grounded. With a strong foundation, we can weather any holiday storm. In this pose, feel the strong foundational energy through the legs and up through the core, as you get connected to the earth. Not even hectic family gatherings can shake you when you are firmly grounded.
How to do it: Standing at the top of your mat with your hands on your hips, bring your left foot back about three feet and pivot the back heel down about 45 degrees. Plant both feet strongly on the ground, and keep your hips pointed forward (adjust the width of your feet if needed). Bring your hands together in front of your heart or lift your arms straight overhead with your upper arms by your ears. Take three deep breathes, and then switch sides.

2. Give thanks: Upward facing dog

This pose is a fantastic way to physically open your chest and emotionally open your heart to channel the spirit of gratitude. With a daily practice of this pose, you’ll be feeling the joy of the season.
How to do it: From plank pose, lower your body down to the mat keeping your elbows close to your sides. Press into the palms and the tops of your feet as you lift your chest up and straighten your arms. Engage your legs and lift your knees off the mat to get a nice belly and leg stretch. Gently lift your chin and open your chest. Take three deep breaths, and be sure to take a moment to feel gratitude for the many gifts in your life.

3. Get centered: Boat pose

This pose is all about the core. Staying centered during the holidays means so much more than great abs — it means connecting to the true spirit of the holidays. So come back to center with this deeply centering core pose.
How to do it: Sit on your mat with your legs out straight and hands by your sides. Lean back slightly and lift your legs so that your hips form a 45-degree angle. If you’re ready for more of a challenge, lift your hands off the floor and reach your arms forward and down. For less of a challenge, bend your knees and keep your shins parallel to the mat. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds while taking deep breaths.

4. Get balanced: Side plank

During the hectic holiday season, it is imperative to maintain balance. Not just during our yoga practice, but as we go about your lives off the mat. This challenging pose is likely to knock you down a few times, but then again, so will the chaos of your holidays. Don’t let it keep you down! Falling is often the best opportunity to learn to re-calibrate and re-align to find the strength to get back up and try again.
How to do it: From plank pose, rotate up to your right, placing your right hand on your hip and stacking your right foot on top of your left. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. If there’s too much strain on the left wrist, lower your left knee to the mat. Take three deep breaths, then repeat on your other side.

5. Release tension: Double pigeon

Many of us hold tension in the hips, so hip-opening poses, such as double pigeon, can provide a much needed emotional release during the holidays.
How to do it: Sitting tall and cross-legged, place your right ankle over the left knee so that your shins are stacked. Keeping both feet flexed to protect your knees, take a deep inhale, opening your chest, and then exhale as you fold forward over your shins and bring your fingertips to the mat in front of you. Each exhale can act as a gesture of surrender, and release tension from your hips. Take 10 deep breaths, switch legs, placing your left ankle over your right knee, and take 10 more deep breaths. If the double pigeon pose is too challenging, try another hip-opening pose: bound angle. To do this, sit tall on your mat, bring the soles of your feet together in front of you, and lower your knees as far as you can. Hold your feet with both hands, inhale to open your chest, and then exhale, folding forward over your feet. Take 10 deep breaths, and then sit back up.

December 9, 2016 | BY: Elise Joan

12 Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Christmas Morning

When I was a kid, Christmas morning in my family started early, with the four of us gathered around the tree in our coziest pajamas. There would be homemade eggnog from a family friend and Mom would set out a tray of my grandmother’s stollen (German Christmas bread), cookies of all shapes and sizes, a box of See’s candies, and Dad’s famous raspberry muffins. I would eat at least two of every kind of cookie and as many chocolates and raspberry muffins as I could fit into my face. Later in the morning, Mom would make my favorite egg and cheese casserole with tortilla strips and chiles, and I would chow down, again. It was delicious, but not the healthiest way to start the day.

Now that I have Beachbody’s nutrition wizards on my side, I can enjoy my Christmas morning with healthier versions of all of my childhood favorites (except the box of chocolates). So, here are 12 recipes that are sure to please, whether your holiday morning consists of a simple smoothie, a table of nibbles next to the tree, or brunch with family and friends. While we don’t recommend cookies for breakfast, if that’s your holiday tradition, try one of these yummy 21 Day Fix-Approved holiday treats.

Egg Dishes

Tex-Mex Scrambled Eggs and Veggies (Migas)
This traditional Tex-Mex breakfast scramble with crunchy tortilla strips, onions, tomatoes, and peppers is known as Migas. It has 229 calories per serving, and the servings are hearty. This is very similar to my mom’s recipe, and it’s always a crowd pleaser. Her version has a can of diced green chiles for a little extra heat. Get the recipe.

Frittata with Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, and Parmesan
This festive frittata has the colors of the season and is easy to make for your spread on Christmas morning. Swap out chard for spinach, kale, or broccolini if you prefer. Get the recipe.

Mini Denver Quiches
If your holiday breakfast table involves lots of nibbles, try these mini Denver quiches made with ham, cheese, and bell pepper. They are perfect bite-sized appetizers with only 73 calories apiece. Get the recipe.

Muffins and More

Gingerbread Protein Pancakes
Treat your family to these light and fluffy gingerbread pancakes with holiday spices. They have the texture of traditional pancakes, but these wholesome hotcakes have a boost of protein to keep you satisfied during a marathon gift-opening session. Get the recipe.

Blueberry Maple Muffins
These blueberry muffins taste — and smell — incredible. One whiff of them fresh from the oven and you won’t be able to wait until they hit your plate. Ever since I was a child, my dad has made raspberry muffins on Christmas morning. The blueberries in this recipe could easily be swapped for red raspberries or you can do a mix of half and half! Get the recipe.

Zucchini Bread
This healthier take on zucchini bread has all of the moisture and flavor you expect from a homemade loaf, thanks to applesauce and coconut oil. Add a dash of nutmeg and ginger for extra holiday flavor. Get the recipe.

Oatmeal

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal
Did Santa leave oranges in your stocking? Make your morning cozy and warm with hearty steel-cut oats topped with zesty orange and cranberries. Get the recipe.

Baked Vanilla Oatmeal with Nutmeg
Still wrapping gifts on Christmas morning? Before you start, make this recipe. There’s only a few ingredients to mix together before you pop the dish in the oven. When it’s time for gift giving, breakfast will be ready. Add a chopped apple and sprinkle of cinnamon for even more flavor. Get the recipe.

Holiday Spice Oatmeal
Holiday spice and everything nice (and healthy) is exactly what you’ll find in this seasonally-inspired oatmeal. Get the recipe.

Shakeology

Creamy Candy Cane Shakeology
Skip the sugar sticks and reach for this smoothie that tastes like a candy cane. With only four ingredients, it doesn’t get much easier to whip up some holiday cheer! Get the recipe.

Cinnamon Roll Shakeology
Warm, fluffy, cinnamon rolls slathered in icing are the thing of a sugar-lover’s dreams. This Cinnamon Roll Shakeology recipe pulls the best flavors from the sweet treat and transforms them into a healthy Shakeology drink. It does have coffee in it, so as much as it might taste like a dessert, it’s totally acceptable to have for breakfast. Get the recipe.

Chocolate Eggnog Shakeology
This lighter, healthier version of chocolate eggnog is so good, you’ll want to drink it all season long. Good thing it’s under 200 calories! Get the recipe.

December 23, 2015 | BY: Kirsten Morningstar

How To Lose Weight In 3 Days

If you know me well, you know that I’m not a fan of trying to lose weight in a short period of time just to look differently for egotistical reasons. Rapid weight loss isn’t necessarily very healthy either. It can cause digestive, organ and brain function problems if done the wrong way. By “wrong way” I mean diet pills, dramatic fasting, and/or exercising 2 or 3 times a day to exhaustion. 

Here are my top 10 tips to help you lose weight in 3 days and beyond, so that you can create long lasting habits that will allow you to focus on fighting disease, getting healthy, and feeling as young as you can, for as long as possible.

 1. Eat often ~ I know this sounds contrary to weight loss, but science has proven over and over again, that eating 5 healthy "snack size" meals throughout the day, is how you lose weight.

2. Cut out the salt ~ This means consuming less than 2 grams a day. Deli meats, cold cuts, sauces, dressings and processed foods are typically loaded with sodium, so run don’t walk away from these problem foods.

3. Drink your water! ~ For whatever reason this is still a head scratcher for a lot of people. Some schools of thought say to drink as much as a gallon of water a day. Maybe if you’re a 245 pound linebacker training twice a day. My goal is 6 to 8 eight oz. glasses a day, but your weight and activity levels really determine how much is right for you. Drink even amounts of water throughout the day, and experiment to learn what works for you.

4. Get off the hootch! ~ Yup, the empty calories in alcohol, soda pop, energy drinks, are great for gaining weight, so they all have to go if you really want to lose weight and live a healthy life.

5. Plenty of rest and sleep ~ Sleeping is healing, and it’s also when you burn the most calories. Lack of sound sleep, over training, and stress raises cortisol levels to the point where your circadian rhythm is so out of whack that you crave unhealthy food, lose your focus and desire to exercise. Good sleep, low stress, mixed with yoga and meditation is the foundation to weight loss.

6. Don’t skip breakfast ~ Eating breakfast is critical for losing weight. It’s your first opportunity to get some of your 6 to 8 daily servings of veggies, jump start your metabolism, allow you to stay fuller longer, and can assist in helping you burn calories all day long. A jug of Joe and a donut doesn't cutting it.

7. Eat Your Veggies ~ It blows my mind that so many people are lucky to get in 4 of 5 servings of veggies a week never mind 6 to 8 a day. Lack of vegetable consumption in America is one of the main causes of weight gain and life threatening disease. Vegetables are high in nutrition and fiber, and are a critical part of weight loss.

8. Eliminate Problem Foods ~ Fast food, processed foods, booze, simple carbs, and anything and everything that is loaded with fat, sugar and chemicals should be eliminated. Read labels! Know what you’re eating. If it comes from a box, bottle, can or jar, read what’s inside. Lack of fiber, high saturated fats, high sugar, high sodium, and man-made ingredients loaded with unpronounceable chemicals are NOT part of your weight loss solution.

 9. Small portions ~ Tip number 9 and tip 1 go hand in hand. When you spread out your snack size meals throughout the day, the only way to lose weight is by making sure your portions are much smaller than what you’re probably used to. Waking up to 2 or 3 egg whites, a small side of veggies, and a cup of tea might not feel like enough (for some) to get you to lunch. Don’t forget that you get another meal between breakfast and lunch, and another between lunch and dinner. If the quality is high, the junk is gone, the portions small, you can still eat 5 meals a day and lose weight in 3 days.

10. Exercise ~ Shocker right? Here’s the rub though - if you train too hard and/or too long it can actually cause weight gain, especially if your training consists of just weight lifting, and hard core resistance exercises. When you’re trying to lose some weight early in your journey, it’s smart to add yoga, light cardio and high rep resistance.  

These 10 tips are how you lose some weight in 36 hours. These same 10 tips are how you maintain good health for the rest of your life.

Talk Nice...To Yourself

Did you know that the way you talk to yourself has a huge impact on your own health and well-being? Speaking negatively to yourself on a regular basis can have a profoundly bad effect on many aspects of your life. If you openly trash yourself, you give people around you license to do the same.

People who have positive internal conversation have less run-in's with depression, stress and drama, if-you-will. It's also been shown to ward off colds and reduce the risk of cardiovascular issues [wow]!

A positive attitude is much more than just "staying positive." It's about acknowledging and taking a hard look at all your positive attributes (and you have many) and bringing those to light instead of the negative ones.

We all have dark places in us, and things that have happened to us, but those things don't have to run our lives or dictate our future. We have a choice in the matter. We get to choose the way we feel about ourselves, what we say to ourselves and how we show up in our lives.

Comparing yourself to others, wishing you had what they did, wanting someone else's body, etc will not help you get what you want in life. We all have our own paths, and we are the ones responsible for carving out our path in the way we want it.

It took me years to get where I am. I used to do mime on the Santa Monica Promenade for crying out loud. All because I had this big lofty dream of being an actor. I would do whatever it took. I would land little acting jobs here and there, but I never got my big break. I have to be honest, it was hard to stay positive, but you know what? I did anyway.

I caught some other breaks, and happened to be really good at helping people get fit, so I put my focus there.  I continued to move forward, talk nicely to myself and take positive action even though my original dream wasn't happening. Sometimes life has another idea for us, and we can fight against it with negativity, or choose to meet life with positivity and forward movement. I also make sure to surround myself with positive people. It really is true when "they" say; you are who you spend your time with.

The language you use to describe yourself -- and others for that matter, reflects on your ability to see the sunnier side of life, search for solutions and find answers -- cup half full kind of stuff. Your words come from your thoughts, but they also influence your thoughts, it's a two-way street here. The words in your brain and the ones coming out of your mouth can serve you or impede you. Be conscious of the power of your words, and the effect they have on your reality. You get to choose. Remember that!