Skyler Meine

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Where To Start

The first question I ask myself when starting an exercise program with a client is how can I keep this person healthy. Injury will stop the best exercise program dead in its tracks. To prevent injury, each muscle and joint needs to be moving correctly. In order to ensure this is happening, I use foam rolling and active stretching to improve the quality and function of my clients’ muscles and joints.

Foam rolling is nothing more than self massage. Foam rolling targets trigger points or areas where the muscle fascia has become thick, tough or knotted. These areas, if not treated, can potentially create dysfunction and eventually injury. By rolling out each muscle group with a foam roller, especially targeting tight or painful areas, you can start improving the muscle fascia and prevent injury. (more…)

active stretching, best exercise program, cardio, foam rolling, IdealShape, lose weight, muscle mass, proper form, range of motion, stretching, trigger points

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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You’re ready to make a change. You want to achieve your IdealShape. You want it whole-heartedly, but you’re afraid to try again because you have tried so many times before.

What is going to make the difference this time?

The difference will be this: now you are going to be empowered to succeed at creating your IdealShape. How? By overcoming the past, thriving in the present, and having the ability to clearly visualize the future. (more…)

commitment, distractions, IdealShape, overcoming the past, thought patterns, thriving in the present, visualize the future

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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As a weight loss expert, I have asked myself one question more than any other:

Why do weight loss programs and diets ultimately fail for the majority?

I have read hundreds of different diets and weight loss programs—many from the best personal trainers and nutritionists in the world. The principles are sound. They should work. So why aren’t more people getting to their IdealShape and staying there? Aren’t thousands of these programs being sold every day? (more…)

determination, diets, effective exercise program, IdealShape, Mastering The Mind, mindset, nutritionist, subconsious mind, weight loss expert, Weight Loss Programs

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The Power of Positive Influences

It’s tough to feel confident about your ability to slim down when your friends aren’t. Sometimes even well-meaning friends and family are skeptical of our goals. (Often they feel bad that they’re not making the same great changes in their own lives, so they unconsciously put you down.)

Losing weight is hard. We don’t need negative influences around us to make it harder. No—we need people to help us make it easier! And they can. In fact, positive influences are essential to your body shaping mission.

Take a look at this post on No More Bacon: it’s by “the woman behind the fat guy”—Ryan’s wife. Can you see the role she plays in his journey, and the role he plays in hers? They keep each other strong and upbeat, and the heights they have reached in just one year are phenomenal.

So where are these positive influences in your life?

The People You Hang Out With: It’s smart to spend time with upbeat people who support your goal. Your mind absorbs what people tell you and the energy around you—positivity is contagious! You may not have to go outside your circle to find it: sometimes it’s as simple as asking your friends and family for support.

A Community of Like-Minded People: If you can’t get your friends and family on board (and even if you can), join a community related to your goal. Spending time with a group of people who have the same purpose and experiences as you is invaluable.

Body Shaping Hypnotherapy: How is hypnosis a positive influence? Tammy Garner, the Master Certified Hypnotherapist who worked with me to create the Mastering the Mind series, knows exactly how to get your subconscious mind to work positively toward your goal. So, not only is she a positive influence in your life, but she’ll help you become your own positive influence—which is what achieving your IdealShape hinges on. (Why? Read this)

1. The Experts: Personal trainers, weight loss coaches and nutrition professionals are powerful positive influences. We are trained to help you create your ideal body and mind, and we’re passionate about the mission. This blog is a great source of positivity, so keep reading! I’m here offering encouragement and expert advice, free of charge, simply because I want you to learn that you have the power to create change in your life.

If you want to make your weight loss path smoother, more enlightened and more fun, surround yourself with the positive influences above. You’ve already got three on board—you’ve joined a community, you listen to Mastering the Mind each day, and you’ve sought out my advice on this forum.

That leaves one goal for today: spend some time in the company of a positive person. Pick someone who is supportive of your goals, and hang out with them or give them a call. Enlist the encouragement of everyone around you!

See you back here tomorrow. And if you have questions or comments, leave them below.

You’re doing great!

hypnosis, hypnotherapist, IdealShape, nomorebacon, personal trainers, positive influences, ryan sullivan, subconscious mind, weight loss path

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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The mind is a powerful tool for achieving your IdealShape. There’s a reason we’ve called it the real magic weight loss pill! When your mind is working with you toward your goals, it’s a fail-proof path to success. But how do you get your mind on board?

Try a little positive reinforcement.

In order to do something consistently every day, and to do it well, you have to want to do it. That’s why to get to your IdealShape, a positive outlook is everything.

Be Nice to Yourself

On Day 9, I revealed that it’s more effective to focus on what you can add to your diet, rather than what you must take away. The same principle applies to the overall weight loss picture. It is FAR more constructive to focus on the positives of your fitness and nutrition plan, and reward yourself along the way.

The fact of the matter is, we like rewards! When we feel great about our decisions, we are motivated to keep going. We do not like punishment. Chastise yourself and you will rebel—often reinforcing the very behaviors you wanted to change.

Of course, it’s not easy to turn a weight loss “frown upside down.” We’re often mad at ourselves for making bad choices, and frustrated about the unfairness of having to work so hard to get in shape. Or we feel hopeless that the results we would like to achieve seem so far away.

But it’s worth the hard work to correct these thoughts, because the truth is, they are the only things keeping you from achieving your IdealShape.

The next time you start to get angry with yourself for making a poor decision, stop. Take a deep breath and be patient with yourself. No point in worrying about something you can’t undo, which would only start a snowball in the wrong direction. Instead, use that choice as a learning experience, and redouble your commitment to do it differently next time.

The Best Reward of All

Positive conditioning is the most effective, healthy  and sustainable way to change behavior. By listening to your Mastering the Mind^TM CD, you will soon be able to put this uplifting approach into practice. Sometimes it takes an outside voice of reason to help us realize that it’s OK to relax and approach our bodies positively. If you can learn to do this, you will be rewarded with lifelong health and fitness.

So here is your goal for the day: start paying attention to your thoughts. Keep listening to the Mastering the Mind series. It will make you more aware of your thought stream, bringing many unconscious saboteurs to the surface.

What happens when negative thoughts pop into your head? What happens when positive ones do? Has hypnotherapy influenced your mindset during the day?

In coming posts I am going to tell you more about the power of a positive, engaged mindset, and how you can get it!

diet, IdealShape, mastering the mind cd, nutrition path, positive reinforcement, real magic weight loss pill, weight loss picture

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Weight loss is not a solo journey. Being part of a community and interacting with like-minded people is important in all things, but especially to a successful body shaping program.

Why?

Two reasons. One, a support network is a reinforcer—adding social pressure to make you accountable for your goals. And two, it’s an uplifter—making you feel happy, confident and educated about what you’re working toward.

The Online Community

Blogs, forums and other online communities are a great place to discuss your experience and ask questions without fear of judgment. You can feel good commenting on others’ stories and showing them support. In fact, you’ve already joined an online community by coming here.

Two more incredible communities are NoMoreBacon and AskFitnessCoach. Both invite you to share in the authors’ successes and mishaps on the road to their IdealShapes. They share research and pose thoughtful questions, and hope that you will add yours. Here, community members like Mizfit show support, add info, and are inspired. Remember, the people who create online communities aren’t doing it for themselves; they are passionate about fitness, and want to educate, entertain, show positive support and hear from you!

It only takes a minute to acknowledge others on their weight loss journey, or leave a tip about something that works for you. You’ll be doing your friends in the community a bigger service than you know. Please leave a comment on any post here that inspires you.

The Live Community

Because it’s not good to spend all your networking time at the computer, get out of the house to meet people, too! A successful body shaping mission should be active and fully engaged. Socialize with others who are working toward their IdealShape: join a class, arrange a club, or attend a fitness boot camp.

Honestly, being alone in a weight loss journey isn’t much fun. It’s not effective or sustainable, either. We need social support and reinforcement to create a change this big in our lives.

Communities provide great information and free support. You could pay a therapist to psychoanalyze why you have trouble managing your weight. Or, you can empower yourself by discussing your experiences right here with a weight loss expert and others like you. Which seems like a better way to understand where you’re coming from and what you need to work on? Which sounds more fun?

Your goal for today is… To connect with others who are on a weight loss journey. Maybe it will be the social media community online, or maybe you’ll reach out to your network of friends and family and beyond. Hopefully, it will be both!

So get out and join the community today. Learn from others’ experiences, share yours, and talk to the experts. Make your IdealShape a reality!

ask questions, body shaping, fitness boot camp, free support, IdealShape, mizfit, nomorebacon, online community, psychoanalyze, weight loss community, weight loss journey

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Refresh, Recharge, Rejuvenate—With One Simple Change

Good sleep prepares you to meet the day’s challenges feeling positive, alert and confident. Yet not only is it critical to your health and happiness—it also plays a key role in achieving your IdealShape.

Most Americans need at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. How many do we get? About 6.5, on average.

In truth, adding that extra hour of sleep wouldn’t put you out all that much. But missing an hour a day will. Sleep “debt” leaves you tired, grumpy, and less productive. When prolonged, it can lead to weight problems. When you’re sleep deprived, you have little energy for exercise, and your body won’t recover from exercise as quickly. It is during sleep that your body recovers from your work out, builds muscle and becomes stronger.

A Caffeine-Free Energy Boost

Some people view naps as a waste of time. Guess what? They aren’t. A brief rest can reinvigorate your body and clear your mind, preparing you to tackle the rest of the day—and get your exercise in!

Of course, to get the most out of your afternoon zzz’s, you need to follow these napping guidelines. It pays to nap at the right time, for the right length of time, and create a regular routine just like you do with your nighttime sleep schedule.

When you start to get sleepy mid-afternoon, don’t reach for a Rockstar, take a 15-20 minute rest instead. If you’re a little sleep-deprived, go longer (25-35 minutes). Trust me, you will feel recharged. But sleep longer than this and you may be sluggish for the rest of the day, or have a hard time falling asleep at your regular bedtime. So make sure you set an alarm.

When to Nap?

For most people, there’s a natural “napping time” in your sleep cycle. During this time, your body temperature drops just like it does at night, and you start to feel tired. See, the body is programmed to catch a little sleep in the middle of the day! Pay attention to your cue, and catch a short nap during that time (for most people, prime nap time is between 1-3 pm).

Important: naps aren’t an excuse to sleep less at night. If you have a choice between tacking extra sleep hours onto your nap or your nighttime sleep, do the latter.

Napping is a free, healthy way to work toward your IdealShape, and you don’t even have to fall asleep to benefit (but chances are, you will).

Not Just Any Sleep Will Do

Just as important as how much sleep you get is how well you sleep. You can spend 8 hours in bed without getting a wink of quality sleep! Often our minds are burdened with daily stresses, mental to-do lists, and bigger anxieties. You have to learn to turn off the mental chatter in order to get a good night’s sleep.

This is where your Mastering the Mind CD becomes invaluable.

Right now you should at least have CD 1 in the series (if you don’t, contact me). For the remainder of the 31 days, your before-bed ritual should be listening to this CD for 20 minutes. You will be amazed at its ability to clear your mind and relax your body. Hypnotherapy can prepare you not only to create your IdealShape, but also for a rich and rewarding night of rest.

Today’s Goal: Commit to a new sleep habit. Plan what time you will go to bed, what time you’ll get up, and what time you will begin your before-bed ritual each night. Plan to get 7-8 hours a night. On those days when you feel burned out, take a quick nap following the principles above.

Begin adhering to your new sleep schedule today. Write down how much you sleep, how well, and the results. After improving your sleep habits, how do you feel about your commitment to reshape your body and mind? How do you feel in general?

exercise, hypnotherapy, IdealShape, Mastering The Mind, naps, sleep, weight problems

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The One Time You Shouldn’t Fight Hunger

Breakfast is possibly the most important meal of the day, yet so many people pass it up. Don’t ignore that gnawing feeling in your stomach just because you’re in a rush, or because you think it will help you reach your IdealShape faster. It won’t! Skipping breakfast is one of the biggest causes of weight gain.

On day 4, I told you to eat more often, which will actually help you eat fewer calories. This is especially true of the morning meals. One of your 5-6 meals of the day should be breakfast, followed by a well-balanced snack a few hours later.

If you miss these earlier meals, your metabolism will slow down (Weight Gain Cause #1). Then you’ll gorge at later meals and crave unhealthy snacks (Weight Gain Cause #2). Without breakfast you’ll have less energy throughout the day, either skipping your exercise regimen or simply being less active in your daily activities (Weight Gain Cause #3).

A lot of people say they aren’t hungry in the morning, or that eating right away makes their stomach upset. As far as hunger goes—once you are exercising regularly and your metabolism starts to swing upward (thanks to those small 5-6 daily meals), you will be hungry. If breakfast bothers your stomach, just try to eat and have some water as early as you can. Your stomach will start getting used to morning food, especially if it’s the right kind.

What to Eat

By “breakfast” I don’t mean a piece of white bread or a bowl of Trix. You want to avoid processed foods and go for fresh as much as possible. And remember from previous posts, the goal for each meal is a 40/30/30 ratio of carbs/protein/fat.

A few ballpark 40/30/30 breakfast examples:

1. One egg and two egg whites,  and fresh fruit with a low carb yogurt
2. Whole grain cereal with nuts, fruit, and the Ideal Shape Shake made with skim milk

The IdealShape Meal Replacement Shake

The IdealShape shake is packed with protein, vitamins and minerals, making it a great on-the-go breakfast replacement. Mix the IdealShape shake with water or milk, add fruit and sprinkle some granola on top and you have a healthy, energizing breakfast in under 3 minutes.

Today’s Goal: eat breakfast. If you didn’t have breakfast today, plan for tomorrow. Choose what you’re going to eat, prepare items the night before if needed, and be sure to include a fresh fruit or vegetable. Aim to get a good portion of your calories in the first half of the day, not the latter half.

Trust me, this is one goal that delivers instant rewards. When you eat breakfast you will have more energy, and you will see your IdealShape much sooner—especially when you include the IdealShape protein shake in your meal plan.

Keep reading daily for more nutrition tips to create your IdealShape

breakfast, energizing breakfast, energy, IdealShape, meal plan, metabolism, minerals, protein, vitamins, weight gain

(1 votes, average: 1.00 out of 5)

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A Simple Trick to Create Unshakeable Habits

If you’ve been following previous posts, you have already laid some important groundwork on the path to your IdealShape. Give yourself a pat on the back! You’re ready to start putting your new understanding into motion.

The principle to master today is learning how to control your habits. You have the power to eliminate bad habits and create new ones anytime you choose. You just need to learn a simple trick.

The goal for Day 3 was to Plan Every Day. Taking control of your habits is not a vague idea, but something to put into practice. So write down a new habit that you want to create. Keep this action item in your daily plan for the rest of the 31 days—and do it!

Consistency is all that it takes to form a habit, no matter how big the change.

The Mastering the Mind CD series is an incredible way to begin taking control of your habits. Here’s why:

1. Meditative, guided visualization helps clear your thoughts and refocus your goals, gearing you to work toward your new desired habit.
2. Hypnotherapy has an amazing ability to communicate with the mind on a subconscious level. Negative habits often lurk in our unconscious minds, where it can be difficult to address them. (Hard to control a habit if you aren’t even aware of it, right?)

What Habit Do You Want to Change Today?

Do you want to get up an hour earlier and exercise before work? Do you want to stop by the gym every night instead of going straight home for dinner and TV? Maybe you’re ready to start preparing a healthy, balanced lunch and snacks to take to work. (Remember, one of the simplest ways to make your IdealShape a reality—eating 5-6 small, balanced meals a day!)

Your Goal for the Day: Pick the new habit that you think will be most important to achieving your IdealShape. And if you haven’t listened to your Mastering the Mind^TM CD yet, put it on tonight before bed. I guarantee you will wake up the next day ready to put your desired habit into action.

In one month’s time, your new behavior will become not an item on your to-do list, but an automatic behavior, rooted deep in your subconscious mind.

Stay tuned: in following posts I’ll give you more simple, proven habits that will help you reach your IdealShape in record time.

control your habits, exercise, hypnotherapy, IdealShape, Mastering The Mind, visualization

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When you want to get to your IdealShape, do you immediately think about what you are going to have to stop eating?

What if this time you started by thinking about what you could add to your diet to start moving towards your IdealShape? Fruits and vegetables. More lean protein like chicken, fish and pork. More fiber rich food. More water. That doesn’t sound too terribly difficult, does it? If we just focus on what we should be eating to feel healthier and have more energy, and if we listen to when our bodies are telling us we’re hungry, we can make the right nutritional choices.

We naturally want to live abundantly. If we try to deprive ourselves of the things we love to get to our IdealShape, we are taking away two things our bodies have become accustomed to: unhealthy foods and extra fat. Remember, our bodies would prefer to maintain fat stores just in case we go through a starvation period. This is a product of human evolution. So, instead of cutting everything out at once, make changes that you can handle and focus on each day. Simple additions can sometimes create big subtractions.

energy, fiber rich food, IdealShape, nutritional choices, protein, starvation