Congratulations! You’re done with INSANITY®, P90X®, or another Beachbody® program, and you love the results. But you’re also sick of hammering your body every day and watching each calorie you put into your mouth. So, what now? Can you keep your new body without all the work?

#10 Air Traffic Controller – “Hurry, Hurry”:

“Delivers the perfect punch of caffeinated indie-pop, constructed by synths, popping drums beats, the delightfully nasal voice of singer Dave Munro, and occasionally an orchestra.” – PerformerMAG

#9 The Strokes – “50/50″:

“At two minutes and forty-five seconds, ’50/50′ is the album’s shortest song, as well as being its loudest and nastiest, built around a coiled garage-rock riff that puts us in mind of the Von Bondies (the first thing to put us in mind of that band since… hmm, we’ll back to you on that). It seems likely that this’ll become a live favourite, and possibly even a future single: it’s got the same sort of ferociousness and intensity that ‘Reptilia’ was blessed with.” -NME

#8 OneRepublic – “Counting Stars”:

“Frontman Ryan Tedder’s falsetto is superb throughout the new offering, which bleeds with emotion and substance. He and his four bandmates are completely in sync.” – Huffington Post

#7 American Authors – “Believer”:

Catchy and positive driven; what else do you need to feel good during a brutal workout session?

#6 Tegan And Sara – “How Come You Don’t Want Me”:

“Who knew that the duo had such a flavor for bombast? “How Come You Don’t Want Me” flags down a douchebag a mile away with a cocky chorus that asks: “Why don’t you want to show me off?” – Consequence of Sound

#5 Queens Of The Stone Age – “No One Knows”:

“‘No One Knows’ was undoubtedly worth the wait, mind, since this tale of pills stuck in throats, deserts of the mind and all the other usual intimations of dark deeds finds Josh Homme pulling off the unusual trick of being both jaunty and menacing at the same time.” – NME

#4 New Politics – “Harlem”:

“Excellent power-pop, with hooks everywhere including a strangely effective steal from “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and a memorable chorus melody.” – TheSinglesJukeBox

#3 Walk The Moon – “Burning Down The House Live Cover”:

The group covering the Talking Heads’ hit “Burning Down the House. Awesome cover with wicked synths to get me pumped up

#2 Shiny Toy Guns “Le Disko”:

“A three-and-a-half minute rave ensues when Shiny Toy Guns’ Le Disko hits the speakers. Paired with Carah Faye’s matter-of-fact vocals and a thoughtfully placed electric guitar accompaniment, the compressed electronic beats pulse hypnotically and stop on a random cue. The result is a song that is brimming with just enough sexuality to make it interesting and just the right groove to get almost anyone dancing.” – MusicBoxOnline

#1 The Strokes – “Welcome To Japan”:

“Uh-oh, it looks like someone’s done gone come down with a dose of da funk. Yeah, we know what you’re thinking: this might have been horrible, but it somehow ends up being great fun, with Nikolai Fraiture’s daft, elastic bassline underpinning a Franzian strut into outright disco. Green Day recently tried something similar and got laughed out of town, but The Strokes seem oddly suited to it; the song has enough moving parts to keep every member occupied, while Casablancas – demanding to know “What kind of asshole drives a Lotus?”- is on richly sardonic form.” -NME

You can view, listen and subscribe to my entire SHREDFAT workout playlist below. How cool is that!

Our Food Technologist, Danielle Robertson is guest blogging! She is super-knowledgeable as her job is to help formulate Shakeology. Who better to teach us about energy properties in Shakeology than the science girl herself!

Hi! Let’s begin by talking about what an ergogenic aid is — it’s something that increases the output of work in terms of mental or physical energy. While caffeine is the most popular ergogenic aid, it’s not the only one that’s effective. Many reported ergogenic aids (like ginseng) don’t have enough evidence for scientists to know for sure whether or how it works. However, there are several key nutrients that your body depends on in order to get the most energy from the foods you consume. Many of those nutrients are depleted throughout the day, especially after moderate to strenuous exercise. Shakeology can help you restore those nutrients, thus restoring your body’s ability to maximize your energy levels. Let’s take a look at the top 7 energy-essential ingredients included in every dose of Shakeology:

Green Tea Extract

What is it?
Green tea extract contains many different phytonutrients (plant nutrients) called catechins, which are potent antioxidants. While green tea extract contains a tiny bit of caffeine, it also contains a powerful catechin called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG for short.

What does it do?
A recent study showed that green tea supplements increased fat metabolism at rest and carbohydrate metabolism during moderate exercise. This study gave volunteers either a drink containing green tea extract or a placebo (a drink that looked just like the green tea drink). This study was double-blind, placebo controlled, which means there was very little chance of cheating or bias because neither the participants nor the scientists knew who was getting what until after all the blood samples were collected, tested and analyzed.

B Vitamins: Thiamin

What is it?
Thiamin, aka vitamin B1, is a vitamin found in pork products, sunflower seeds, legumes, wheat germ, watermelon and, of course, Shakeology. Thiamin was discovered as the “cure” for the disease Beriberi. Symptoms of beriberi include lethargy, weakness and mental confusion. In Singhalese, the language spoken in Sri Lanka, beri beri means, “I can’t, I can’t”. Thiamin plays such a huge role in energy and metabolism, that it’s no wonder a deficiency in this vitamin would be marked with such significant weakness and this specific name.

What does it do?
Thiamin plays a big role in carbohydrate metabolism. Glucose is the most basic unit of a carbohydrate and it’s the #1 source of fuel for the body. When a glucose molecule is broken down to release energy, it must become pyruvate. Pyruvate cannot go on to the next step in carbohydrate metabolism without help from thiamin. The body does not store thiamin, and a high carbohydrate intake followed by strenuous exercise can rapidly use up the thiamin available. Getting enough thiamin is essential to helping your body convert carbohydrates to energy.

B Vitamins: Riboflavin

What is it?
Riboflavin, aka vitamin B2, was discovered as a yellow pigment in milk. Milk products are good sources of riboflavin but other sources include mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, spinach and other green leafy vegetables.

What does it do?
In the movie How to Train Your Dragon, wild dragons steal sheep from the local village and carry them to a massive cave where (spoiler alert) they drop the sheep in a hole to feed a gigantic dragon. Riboflavin is like the wild dragons but, instead of stealing sheep, it collects hydrogen atoms from various reactions in the body. Those hydrogen atoms get passed along not to a gigantic dragon, but to a prominent energy-producing reaction called the Electron Transport Chain (or “ETC”). The ETC is a crucial part of carbohydrate and fat metabolism, so by helping this process, riboflavin is helping your body convert food to energy.

B Vitamins: Niacin

What is it?
Niacin is a vitamin found in mushrooms, wheat bran, tuna, chicken, turkey, asparagus, and peanuts. Since our bodies can make small amounts of niacin from the amino acid tryptophan, animal proteins that are rich in tryptophan are also considered sources of niacin.

What does it do?
Niacin-containing enzymes participate in at least 200 reactions, most of those used to produce ATP (the chemical form of energy). Like riboflavin, niacin’s role is to collect hydrogens to “feed the dragon” (the electron transport chain) which ultimately results in a release of energy. Despite the similar role, niacin far outshines riboflavin by the sheer number of reactions it participates in. Really, there’s no contest. The sheer number of energy-related chemical reactions niacin participates in is why it’s so important to get enough niacin to optimize your energy levels.

B Vitamins: Pantothenic Acid

What is it?
Pantothenic Acid, aka vitamin B5, gets its name from the Greek work pantothen, which means “from every side” or “widespread”. The name is appropriate considering the widespread supply of pantothenic acid in food. Pantothenic acid is so prevalent in the American diet that there isn’t enough data on people with a B5 deficiency to establish the RDA. Instead, there is value for Adequate Intake (AI), which is basically the amount of pantothenic acid needed to replace the amount that was excreted in urine. This may be a good time to point out that scientists are often under-appreciated for their hard and sometimes gruesome work.

What does it do?
Have you ever taken a dog for a walk or, better yet, taken a dog to a park? The dog wants to go to the park, but it needs to be brought there. Pantothenic acid is like the person that brings the dog (in this case a molecule named acetate) to the park. Acetate may come from the breakdown of a carbohydrate, a fatty acid, an alcohol or a protein, just like a dog may come from the pet store, the pound, the street, or a neighbor. Regardless of where it came from, a healthy dog wants to go to the park. If you bring it to the park and set it loose to run, you’ll see a huge burst of energy. In a similar fashion, pantothenic acid helps bring acetate to the metabolic process in your body that results in a release of energy.

Protein

What is it?
Protein is your body’s least favorite type of fuel. It much prefers to use carbohydrates or fats, but some minimal protein does get used as fuel. However, protein’s role in energy metabolism is not as fuel, but as the parts of the machine itself.

What does it do?
The building block of a protein is an amino acid, and amino acids come together to make enzymes (a special type of protein), which act as machines that facilitate the chemical reactions in your body. There are some molecules like taurine that are technically amino acids, but the terms “essential” and “non-essential” refer to amino acids that help make proteins. Your body can make the non-essential amino acids, but it’s important to get enough of the essential amino acids so your body can build and repair its enzymes and proteins. As Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan put it, “We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.” In other words, to make sure your body can build the right proteins for energy metabolism, it’s important to eat the right proteins. A serving of Shakeology provides all the amino acids you need to get the job done.

Water

What is it?
Water is defined as the basis of the fluids in living organisms. Considering the human body is mostly water, it’s surprising how many people don’t pay enough attention to staying fully hydrated. As it turns out, this has a noticeable impact on your metabolism. Regardless of whether you make your Shakeology with water or a water-based liquid (yes, milk counts), drinking it can help your body stay hydrated.

What does it do?
Water serves as the medium for many reactions in our body, and even participates in several reactions. Minimal dehydration (1-2% of body weight in fluids) can slow down metabolism and make you feel thirsty and slightly fatigued. The solution to this fatigue is not caffeine; it’s plain old-fashioned water (or water with cucumber slices in it if that’s more your style). Consuming caffeine won’t quench your thirst, and it could worsen your degree of dehydration, which would make you feel even more tired. If dehydration continues to 4% (meaning a 135 pound woman now weighs about 130 pounds), symptoms include lagging pace, weariness, sleepiness and apathy. Some people might associate sleepiness with a sign they need caffeine, but drinking caffeine instead of water could be counter-productive. Skip the irony – sip water or Shakeology!

Thanks to the Shakeology Team for the opportunity to guest blog and share my science background with the community! Hope you learned something new.

Good nutrition naturally nurtures healthy, glowing skin to help keep it free of acne. That’s why many skin-nurturing beauty products on the market have ingredients like citrus, acai berries, camu-camu and other potent superfoods in them; these ingredients are as good for you insides as they are for your exterior.

Good nutrition also can do wonders for strengthening your hair from heating products you may use every day and it also supports healthy growth and texture. Finally, when you’re eating right you may also notice your nails become stronger, grow faster and maybe don’t crack and break as often.

This is all thanks to good nutrition! So what should you be eating to enrich your hair, skin and nails? Here are a few ingredients that are great for all of the above. You can find these ingredients in many foods at your local grocery store and you can find all of them in Shakeology.

Biotin: Helps promote the health of hair, skin, and nails.
Bromelain: Helps support damaged tissue especially after a burn.
Chlorella: Phytonutrient that helps support healthy skin.
Citric Acid: Helps provide antioxidant protection for the skin.
Folic Acid: A deficiency may cause gray hair.
Cocoa: Antioxidant support for healthy skin.
Gingko: Antioxidant support for skin and promotes healthy circulation.
Goji Berry: High in antioxidants which help minimize damage from free radicals that injure cells and can damage DNA.
Grape Seed Extract: Used to protect collagen and elastin in skin (anti-aging).
Green tea: Comes from the Camellia Sinensis tea plant, which is rich in polyphenols, antioxidants and that detoxify cell-damaging free radicals in the body.
Magnesium: Can help cells repair faster.
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): Helps reduce signs of aging, skin disorders, and gray hair.
Papain: Taken from the fruit of the papaya tree. It is used to help promote healing for a variety of skin conditions.
Schisandra: Helps to prevent aging.
Vitamin A: Is often used to help skin conditions including acne, eczema, psoriasis, cold sores, wounds, burns, and sunburn.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Used for treating acne, maintaining healthy hair, skin and nails. It also has anti-aging properties.
Vitamin B6: Beneficial for acne and various other skin conditions.
Vitamin C: Powerful antioxidant that can be used to help repair and firm the skin.
Vitamin E: Can help to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. Collagen is a primary component of your skin and may help prevent scarring from wounds and acne.
Vitamin K: Helps promote healing and helpful for mild bruising and swelling.
Wheat Grass: Rich in phytonutrients that may help to prevent gray hair.

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

  #10 HOCKEY – “SONG AWAY”:

“sincere in its smugness, smart in its pandering and shamelessly self-aware. It begins with an electrified kick-drum-and-guitar bounce reminiscent of the Cars or Huey Lewis; when the synth chimes in seconds later, the song locks into full-on radio rock mode circa 1986. There are handclaps and electric drums and more synths. Twenty-six-year-old Ben Grubin sings with scruffy, geeky soul, a naïve conviction that’s irresistible” – Seattle Times

#9 Walk The Moon – “Anywayican”:

“a rhythmically quirky ode to chasing a maybe/maybe not requited love. It’s sweet and maybe a bit sexy, and singer Nicholas Petricca sells the heck out of it. With equal parts subtle soul and falsetto, he brings the inner-monologue-style lyrics to life. Petricca’s ratatat delivery of “anyway I can, anyway anyway I can” will stick to your skull, and if I were to ever describe a song as “quietly yearning,” it would be this one.” – mattneric.com

#8 The Tings Tings – “That’s Not My Name”:

“is built around a hypnotic drum beat, plenty of hand-claps and a chanted chorus not a million miles away from ‘Hey Mickey’. It’s glorious fun and sure to go down a storm in sweaty indie discos. Like a well-shaken can of cola, this track’s brimming with sticky, yummy, fizzy goodness – enough to silence the naysayers for now.” – Digital Spy

#7 The Sounds – “Rock ‘n’ Roll”:

#6 The Shoes – “Stay The Same”:

#5 New Order – “Temptation”:

Best way to describe this song? Timeless! I dare you not to start dancing once this song comes; just make sure you aren’t holding any heavy weights.

#4 Fun – “All The Pretty Girls (RAC REMIX)”:

“It has a fun showtunes feel about it that probably wouldn’t feel out of place on the upcoming season of Glee, or a Zac Efron film.” – Pretty Much Amazing

#3 Royal Teeth – “Wild”:

“Nora Patterson’s voice complements Gary Larson’s emotionally delivered lead vocals on numerous occasions, especially on my favorite track “Wild.” With its crazy catchy and super powerful chorus, I can see this one quickly becoming the most popular single for Royal Teeth.” – InvadeNola

#2 Phoenix “Entertainment”:

“As such, this thing projects to the rafters on Mars, opening with a synth theme grown in Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Hong Kong Garden“ and ending with what sounds like a full choir singing through a single mic. But the drums run away with the song: When they’re pummeling against the keyboards, the song is enormous and manic, desperate for volume.” – Pitchfork

#1 Muse – “Time Is Running Out”:

“rocks like a monster, mind, but this time the crunch is timed for maximum effect. There is a funky bass-line, some real-life finger-clicking (which, bizarrely, seems like the only correct response) and, after a typically warbly verse, a crescendo into a Wembley Arena-sized chorus à la Plug In Baby.” – MUSICOMH

You can view, listen and subscribe to my entire SHREDFAT workout playlist below. How cool is that!

Named for Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, aphrodisiacs have been the stuff of legend and song throughout history. Lovers looking for a leg up in the libido department have gone to their shamans, medicine men, and herbalists for centuries, searching for the magic ingredient that will kick their mojo into high gear.

Good news today, there are plenty of products that you can find right in your grocery store or farmers’ market and even in Shakeology that can potentially increase the heat between the sheets. Here are some common foods and minerals that might be able to put a little extra oomph into that special evening. And over half of them are in the top two tiers of Michi’s Ladder, so you can have your cake and eat it, too! (Well, not cake, but asparagus and bananas!)

• Chocolate. What’s more associated with Valentine’s Day than chocolate? The ancient Aztecs considered chocolate to be an aphrodisiac for both men and women, and when the Europeans got wind of its inhibition-lowering properties, it wasn’t long before the candy treat became a must-have when pitching woo. Casanova and famed Louis XV courtesan Madame du Barry were reported to be great believers in the powers of chocolate, and there may have been something to it. Chocolate contains the chemicals phenylethylamine and serotonin, which are also naturally occurring chemicals in the brain, usually released when we are happy or in love. Its chemicals can literally cause your heart to beat a little faster. Add to that a boost of caffeine and sugar, and it can be a pretty good pick-me-up with a small side of euphoria.
• Figs. Maybe it wasn’t just the apple in the Garden of Eden that got things going. Remember, Adam and Eve ended up  covering themselves in fig leaves. And it was also the favorite fruit of Cleopatra, who was certainly no slouch in the ways of love. In ancient Greece, fertility rituals would often follow the first fig harvest, and Greek portrayals of bacchanalia usually also included some fig action. In some European countries, figs are thrown instead of rice at newly married couples (ouch!) as symbols of fertility.
• Bananas. In the Islamic version of the tale, Adam and Eve covered themselves with banana leaves rather than fig leaves. Bananas are also considered a fertility symbol by the Hindus. Bananas can really get you going with their high levels of potassium and B vitamins, which aid the production of hormones. Bananas also contain the protease bromelain, which is believed to help circulation.
• Asparagus. The Aztecs referred to the avocado tree as Ahuacuatl or “testicle tree.” Apparently, the fruit usually hangs in pairs. There appears to be little besides anecdotal evidence to support its claim as an aphrodisiac, though it is rich in many nutrients, including vitamins B6, C, and E. The California Avocado Commission conducted a Valentine’s Day survey in 2000 of experts, 63 percent of whom concluded that the avocado does have some aphrodisiac qualities, some of which could be attributed to recently discovered phytochemicals.
• Be smart about beverage calories. The average American consumes around 400 calories a day in liquid form! This includes soda, sport drinks, energy drinks, juice, and flavored ice teas. You can be smart by making sure any calories you drink are in the form of a meal replacement rather than a hydrator. (Water’s still the best hydrator out there.) Shakeology is a great meal-replacement shake for busy people, because it’s convenient, jam-packed with important nutrients and antioxidants, and low in calories.
• Truffles. Not the chocolate kind (although those count under the “chocolate” category) but the expensive underground mushroom kind. Unlike other foods, it is the musky scent of the truffle that is believed to be what gets us going. Scientists have recently discovered that black truffles contain the pheromone androstenol. There is some debate over how much human beings are affected by pheromones, but truffles have been considered to be aphrodisiacs for centuries, and this recent discovery could be one explanation.
• Maca. Say what? Yes Maca, technically Maca Root to be precise. This ingredient, found in Shakeology, is sourced from Peru and helps to increase stamina and energy levels. South American’s even refer to it as ‘Peruvian Viagra’ for its libido enhancing properties…need I say more?

So there you have it, you officially can make the aphrodisiac-tastic meal of the century this Valentine’s day or dose up your shake with avocados or bananas daily for an extra love-boost year round.

Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body? ^*
One word, disgusted. I turned to drinking, eating the wrong foods late at night, I quit exercising completely, depression set in, and then I had pure disgust with myself. I began to feel like I guess it’s true, fat and forty DOES go hand in hand!

I had always been healthy and fit. I didn’t drink, I slept well, I had a positive attitude, and everybody wanted to be around me. Then when I started feeling this depression I didn’t want to be around anyone, not even my family. I was embarrassed to say the least, because I was the one ALWAYS in shape, sharing better habits with others and then here I was, letting myself fall into the abyss.

Thank God for YouTube and Beachbody! I literally sat down for 2 days, all day and geeked transformation stories, and CRIED! That is where I found Chalene Johnson, Turbo Fire and Shakeology! The rest is history!

How did Shakeology support your transformation?
Shakeology helped with everything it says: cravings, energy and better sleep. I haven’t even been sick since I started drinking it and because of all these benefits combined, I have lost weight as a result! I also felt my hormone levels were more balanced. Like I said, I’m 40-ish, 44 to be exact, so the hormones were starting to “dance” a little!

How has your life changed since drinking Shakeoogy and working out?
Ordering Turbo Fire and committing to drinking Shakeology everyday is the BEST decision I could have made! I lost 17 lbs and 5.5” off my waist in 90 days! I am determined to take my health passed the 90 days with Turbo Fire. I have made a lifestyle change COMMITMENT, not just for 90 days, but for the rest of my life!

ORDER SHAKEOLOGY TODAY!

Nothing taps your panic button quite like gaining weight, especially when you’re on a weight loss program. Unfortunately, it’s an inevitable fact of life. Luckily, you’ve got me here to tell you that, as long as you’re following a solid program, results will come. It’s a physiological certainty (unless you have an underlying issue, like hypothyroidism).

I realize this might take further convincing, considering our instant-gratification society. But this ain’t my first weight loss rodeo. I’ve seen almost every scenario you can dream up, most of which were solved by patience. That said, there are some strategies you can use to ensure you’re getting the most out of both your diet and exercise program. Let’s tackle five of the most common weight loss conundrums.

1) I’m following the program perfectly. Why isn’t it working?! Cortisol is a word you should become familiar with, as it’s a key factor here. You’ve probably heard that it makes you fat, but you have no idea why “they” say that. What is cortisol? It’s actually a performance-enhancing stress hormone that serves an important function in survival situations. Unfortunately, when we force too much daily stress on our bodies, we shift into a state of chronic cortisol release. This can cause us to store excess fat as a survival instinct. While it sounds pretty dire, it’s generally only a serious problem in those with poor lifestyle habits.

The beginning of a diet and/or exercise program, however, is a survival situation. In a very simplistic sense, your body releases cortisol, which, in turn, causes excess water retention to help you rebuild broken down muscle tissue. While this is cortisol functioning properly, it does lead to a period of water weight gain as you adjust to a new program. It’s nothing to worry about. By following a solid plan, your body will adapt by repairing this muscle tissue. This results in an increase in your metabolism and leads to weight loss if that’s your goal.The trick is that there is no hard line on how long this adaptation takes. It’s based on your individual parameters. Just rest easy in the fact that it will happen, unless you force it not to, leading us to . . .

2) I’m barely eating. Severe undereating causes cortisol release, as it’s the definition of a bodily emergency. Beachbody® offers many kick-start (or express) eating plans where you undereat for a few days, but you’re always encouraged to get back to a solid maintenance calorie level quickly. A short period of strategic undereating with proper hydration will help your body dispense of unneeded food (most of us chronically overeat) and regulate bodily functions. Go too long, however, and chronic cortisol release is the result.

This is a tough situation because our natural reaction to weight gain is to eat less. When you’re exercising, it’s important to keep your eye on workout performance, as opposed to how much weight you’re losing. You should be eating enough so that your daily workouts improve over time. As long as that’s happening, your body is adapting, your metabolism is increasing, and you will lose weight provided you also don’t overeat.

3) I’ve been doing hard workouts for weeks. On the performance theme, you need to continually improve, which is why workouts get harder as you move through any of Beachbody’s programs. It’s also why we add resistance (via added weight or gravity, as is the case with jumping) to workouts. If you’re doing the same workouts at the same intensity constantly, you are not forcing adaptations that lead to changes in your metabolism. This is called a plateau.

A plateau, technically, isn’t gaining weight—it’s remaining the same—but a proper diet and exercise program should continually force improvements (in the form of adaptations). Otherwise, your metabolism won’t continue to increase, which is the goal of most weight loss programs.

4) My friend and I are doing the exact same thing and she’s losing. Back to adaptation. We all react differently. The only absolute is that our bodies will change over time with a healthy program. A fitness rule called the Specificity of Adaptation states that it takes the body between 3 and 12 weeks to adapt to new stimuli, which is a very broad range. This is why it’s vital that you stick to your program and not change it repeatedly based on your daily results!

In our test groups, two-week results have almost no bearing on who does best in the end. In fact, many people that undereat early and get off to a fast start will stagnate, while those who stick to the plan and eat as advised will start slower but train harder over time, leading to rapid weight loss as the program wears on.

5) I lost weight for a while but now it’s stopped. For ages on the Team Beachbody® Message Boards, this was our most frequently asked question. You eat less to lose weight. Things are going great, but suddenly you plateau—or start gaining. Odds are, your metabolism has slowed down in order to deal with the decreased calories. You’re starving your now fit body, so it’s doing what it needs to do to survive. The answer to this problem is pretty simple: eat more.

Again, this is a tough sell, so here’s an example. One of our early Success Stories lost 40 pounds during a round of Power 90®, eating only 1,200 calories a day. He then stagnated for a long time and was very resistant to eating more, fearing it would kick-start a regression. We talked him into adding calories until, finally at around 2,000 calories, weight loss resumed. It then became so rapid he dropped through his goal, and about 20 pounds below, until finally, at around 3,000 calories, he leveled out. Then a daily diet of around 3,500 calories a day got him to a ripped 175.

So the moral of today’s lesson is to trust your exercise program—at least if it’s a Beachbody program. We’ve been doing this a long time and we know what works. There are no magic bullets. Body transformation is based on making consistent, healthy lifestyle changes. Do that and you’ll never need to ask yourself why you’re gaining weight again.

————————————————————————————————————————

#10 The Royal Concept – “D-D-Dance”:

“…that’s where “D-D-Dance” comes in. When it starts up with a series of shocking guitar strikes and Peter, Bjorn & John-esque drumming patterns, it becomes quite clear that you’re going to be in for a — as the name entitles — dance-filled time.” – IndieCurrent

#9 Ra Ra Riot – “Dance With Me”:

“New ’80s-inspired synth begins to overtake Ra Ra Riot’s signature string flourishes right from first track “Dance With Me.” From there, it is clear that “Beta Love” is a new turn for the Syracuse rockers—the same vigor, just a different manifestation.” – StudLife

#8 Empire of The Sun – “Walking On A Dream”:

“This Sydney duo (duo!) have arrived bearing blissful psych-pop with visions of a New World Order Of Shagging For Peace siphoned directly from the Wesleyan College acid pool.” – NME

#7 Foster The People “Houdini (RAC REMIX):

“The Oregon remix connoisseur has only the finest palette, reworking the likes of Radiohead, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Empire Of The Sun, the list goes on and on. Customary to his other remixes, this new rendition of “Houdini,” which is brimming with synths and electro pop swagger” – PrettyMuchAmazing

#6 MGMT – “Time To Pretend”:

“Super hooky keyboard component positioning itself in your mind against the computerized space-rock background. Meanwhile, vocalists Ben Goldwasser & Andrew VanWyngarden add some lyrical weight by melodically piecing together an amusing send-up of the various misadventures of those in the spotlight.” – SputnikMusic

#5 Ra Ra Riot – “Boy (RAC REMIX)”:

Great remix by RAC to a song that has sexy bass lines, and great vocals sure to get stuck in your head as your finish your workout.

#4 Capital Cities – “Safe and Sound”:

“I’m digging “Safe and Sound” from LA’s Capital Cities. Just a perfect blend of electro-infused synths and a catchy chorus that keeps me coming back for more.” – TheChuckness

#3 Walk The Moon – “Tete-A-Tete”:

“A Slice of indie pop fun.  The guitars are light and rhythmic while the drums keep time and add a little punch to the track.” – 100PercentRock

#2 Youngblood Hawke – “We Come Running”:

“Whoever says alternative music hasn’t gone pop needs to check out Youngblood Hawke. The Los Angeles-based indie rockers prove that pop music certainly has a place in the new era of alternative music with their catchy, candy-coated pop anthems that somehow fit on the alternative radio dial.” – Audioinkradio

#1 Calvin Harris, Tinie Tempah – “Drinking From The Bottle”:

“With lyrics about necking booze from buckets with sparklers, name-checking Rihanna, the Kardashians and, erm, Danny DeVito as well as a ravey breakdown that you could set your watch to, they’ve ticked all the necessary boxes for an easy chart hit. “I know this crazy life can be a bitter pill to swallow,” he continues, prompting our weary response: “Go on then, one last time won’t hurt us… right?” – DigitalSpy

As you can see, Chia seeds have been around for a long time but they’re having a second life so-to-speak as the newest ‘it’ health food and potent superfood! In fact, New York Times recently wrote an article about them where they noted the rebirth of chia seeds from the 80s as a health food, read it here.

So what’s all the fuss about? Well, they’re incredibly good for you! They’re an excellent source of Omega-3, antioxidants, protein and fiber. And what do those things do for your health? They can help you feel full for longer, they can support healthy blood sugar levels, they are rich in Omega 3 which is important to heart and cholesterol health, and they help to support healthy, sustained energy levels.

All these health benefits, complimented by the fact that they have a very mild taste, make them a great superfood to have on hand to add to salads, cereal, oatmeal, fruit drinks, yogurt, dressings and marinades. You can even add more to your Shakeology for a boost (approximately 1 tsp) but rest assured, they’re already in there so you’ve been getting all these benefits daily for the duration that you’ve been drinking Shakeology. See, you’re ahead of the trend!

When adding extra chia to your Shakeology or any recipe for that matter though, keep in mind that chia is very high in fiber – just 2 tbsp contain almost ¼ of your daily recommended fiber amount. So, just like when you first started drinking fiber-rich Shakeology, make sure your body adjusts gradually; start small and work your way up!

You can also use chia interchangeably with flaxseed, a product many people use as a digestion aid by adding to juices, etc. A couple advantages chia has over flax is that it has a longer shelf life and unlike flax, chia seeds don’t have to be ground before using- they are perfectly digestible in whole form!

Another advantage: when added to water and allowed to sit for 30 minutes, chia forms a gel. Researchers suggest that this reaction also takes place in the stomach, slowing the process by which digestive enzymes break down carbohydrates and convert them into sugar. This can help you feel full for longer making chia seeds a great weight loss tool too!

Enjoy the healthy benefits of chia, one of our favorite superfood-superstars of the year!

ORDER SHAKEOLOGY TODAY!