May 31 is Fast Approaching

And that means the last day to enter the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest! If you have been thinking about getting into shape, this is your chance. And remember, you can sign up now for only $4.95. (CLICK HERE for that offer) You have 21 days to see if you like it. If you don't, just let the folks at TT know, and they will refund your $4.95.

If you would like to do a little reading first, CLICK HERE to get your free copy of Craig Ballantyne's The Dark Side of Cardio and a free copy of a sample Turbulence Training workout.

Or, if you are ready to jump in feet first and get into great shape before the end of summer, CLICK HERE! Come and join me in the Transformation Contest! You have until May 31 at Midnight to take your before photos (be sure to have a newspaper from that day in your photo!) Then come to the forums and say "Hello!" See you there!

I Almost Smelled My Shampoo

After I got my perm over a week ago, I bought a new perm-friendly shampoo. I still don't know what it smells like. I haven't been able to smell or taste anything for over a week. I went to the doctor to confirm I had a sinus infection and got some antibiotics so I am hoping to clear up soon. I thought I caught a whiff of my shampoo the other night, but not enough to discern the scent. Not being able to smell came in handy on Saturday when I painted the entire kitchen and never once smelled paint. I was over half done before I noticed that I seemed to have bought unscented paint. :)

3 Best Exercises You Can Do at Home

For all of you who have asked me about doing Turbulence Training at home, here's a quick video from Craig Ballantyne showing the 3 best exercises you can do at home with dumbbells and bodyweight to burn fat and sculpt your body.

Join the Contest by May 31!

Just a reminder - May 31 is the last day to enter the TT Transformation Contest! If you use the "try me" Turbulence Training for less than $5, you are eligible to enter the contest! The $4.95 gets you all the same bonuses that the full $39.95 does (including access to the forums). You just get to test drive it for 21 days to decide if it's right for you. If it is, then you pay the remaining $35.00. Knowing what I do now, and based on the results I am achieving, $39.95 is a steal for the program. Getting to try it for $4.95 is pretty cool because I know I was skeptical when I first saw TT online. The key for me has been the online support. Checking into the forums and seeing everyone's struggles and progress is so motivating. And even though we are all competing against each other in the contest, there is a sort of "team spirit". Everyone is quick to offer advice or a "well done". If you are on the cusp of beginning a new exercise program, first, I highly recommend Turbulence Training, and second, I highly recommend you join the contest!

Breakthrough Challengers 21-Day Get it Together Challenge!

The Breakthrough Challengers are kicking it into high gear and have come up with a new challenge-within-the-challenge to get on track. Starting May 26, I will be held accountable for the following Daily Goals:

- Take the stairs exclusively on my rest/recovery days
- Drink at least 85 fl oz of water each day (about 2.5L)
- No peanut M&Ms!!!
- 2 servings of vegetables per day (this is a challenge for me)

Not completing all these goals will result in points lost and the possibility of having to wear a dunce cap for a week. Since I don't want that, I'm going to have to work extra hard to make sure I achieve all my goals every day! Wish me luck!

Try Turbulence Training for $5!

Now you can try Turbulence Training for only $4.95! It usually costs $39.95, but you can start a 21-day trial for only $4.95. And you get all the usual bonuses (and a limited time offer of 6 months free to the forums)! If you like it, you'll be billed the rest of the $39.95 at the end of your 21-day trial period.

Click here for this offer!

42

That's how many cars were on the train that we had to wait for this morning on the way to work. Set the bus back about 5 minutes. But I love trains. I felt like Selphie in FF8, singing "train, train...taking me away", or something like that! It got me thinking about other things I like; things I describe as poetry in motion. For example, when you are driving along and a fire truck/ambulance/police car comes up behind you with the lights and siren blaring and everyone pulls over to the right so they can get by. For me, that's like ballet. Everyone pulls over, the emergency vehicle goes by, and everyone gets back on the road. When it's well orchestrated, I get a little misty-eyed. It's like everyone just got out of the way so those people could go and save someone's life! I know, I'm a little dramatic. I also like watching construction sites, traffic lights with well-orchestrated 4-way turn lanes, roundabouts, and garbage trucks. Yes, garbage trucks. We just got new ones here where the driver doesn't even have to get out of the truck. There's an automated arm that comes off the truck, picks up the garbage can, lifts it up and empties it into the truck and then deposits the garbage truck back on the curb. I probably should have gone into engineering, or maybe city planning! LOL

I Think I Am, I Think I Am...

going...to...get...a...perm. {bites knuckles} I'm not sure. I have an appointment for tomorrow morning but there is still time to chicken out. Are perms even in? I haven't a clue!

My Public Service Announcement

As I rode the bus to work this morning, I was looking out the window and I saw a woman light up a cigarette, take a long drag, and exhale. And I exhaled right with her. I could almost feel the smoke stinging my lungs and the back of my throat. I really wanted a drag right then, but just as quickly, the craving passed. They say cravings can take over 18 years to go away. I quit smoking on May 5, 2001. Cold Turkey. One of the best things I ever did. If you smoke, you should quit. So now, without further ado, here is my Public Service Announcement. (This is for you Mom and Dad!)

If you quit smoking, you will...

...reduce your chances of having a heart attack or stroke, and will reduce your chances of getting lung cancer, emphysema, and other lung diseases.

...have better smelling clothes, hair, breath, home, and car and you will have fewer wrinkles.

...be able to climb stairs, walk without getting out of breath and be free of that morning cough.

...save tons of money! You can treat yourself to new books or music with the money you save from not buying cigarettes.

...add years to your life. Based on data collected in the late 1990s, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that adult male smokers lost an average of 13.2 years of life and female smokers lost 14.5 years of life because of smoking.

If you quit right now...

Within the first 24 hours of quitting, blood pressure and heart rate return to normal, carbon monoxide in the blood is eliminated, and the lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris.

And check out these 10 overlooked reasons to quit smoking.

Thanks for not smoking!

So What Exactly IS Turbulence Training?

I've been asked this question and others many times in the past few weeks and so I thought I would try to answer all of them here:

1. Turbulence Training is a program of a specific series of strength training exercises and high intensity interval training. Each TT program is 4 weeks long and then you change to a different TT program. This keeps you from plateau-ing.

2. Yes, it really takes only about 45 minutes, 3 times a week. Sometimes it takes me a little closer to an hour.

3. Yes, you will sweat.

4. Yes, you will be sore.

5. No, there is no special "diet" associated with TT, but there are places to discuss nutrition on the TT forums. And you get "Turbulence Training Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines," by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., as a bonus when you order.

6. No, it's not a video. It's an E-Book that you download immediately after purchase. I like to print mine and keep them in a 3-ring binder for easy access. There are many TT programs available to download from the TT Members Website.

7. Yes, you can do this program from home. You will needs dumbbells, a stability ball, a step and maybe a place to hang from/do pull ups. I go the gym because I outgrew my weights.

8. Yes, there are pictures and instuctions for all the exercises in the manual. And if you have any questions, just post them on the forum. There are no stupid questions!

Don't forget you get 3 months free to the forums when you order. CLICK HERE if you are interested! Also don't forget you have until May 31 to enter the Transformation Contest. I highly recommend it as it is very motivational to have a deadline. Plus the extra support in the Transformation Contest Forum is priceless. Come join me in the Breakthrough Challengers!

Say Yes to Carbs!

Found a blurb in Fitness magazine about a study done at Pennsylvania State University saying people who ate five servings of whole grains a day as part of a low calorie diet lost more abdominal fat than those who only cut calories. So go eat some carbs already!

Speaking of carbs, I just remembered I took photos of the granola I made last week and forgot to put here on the blog. I added golden raisins but dried cherries or cranberries would have been good as well. It was quite yummy and I will be making it again very soon!

In other news, TT for Amazing Abs is kicking my butt! On Saturday it hurt to sneeze/cough/laugh. This morning I raised the weight on 2 exercises and I really feel it now. I'm in my 3rd week of this particular program so it's nice to still be progressing and not plateau-ing.

Stress Relief is Just a Bang Away...

I give you...the toy piano. My kids love this little piano, and sometimes they let me play too. There are few things better than banging on this little piano and not caring how it sounds. It's amazing how you just drown out everything and it's almost like a little moment of zen. Until you come back to earth and realize what an ungodly racket you are making!

My Hour in the Torture Chair

Er...umm...I mean, my hour at the dentist.

I got there 15 minutes early hoping to get in early. That, of course, rarely works and they got to me 15 minutes late. Then I get the hygienist who likes to chat. I love when they ask questions while they are picking your teeth. Like I can say anything other than, "at eela ine" or "eh own oo at". Then, the dentist comes in and picks at my teeth. They start speaking their secret language behind my head. I hear numbers, and words like "distal" and "lingual". He pokes at my teeth again and says, "Oh yeah, that's a 29 DL." My dentist has a really unique way of talking. It's kind of deadpan and then he inflects unexpectedly. I suddenly imagined him saying, "Breaker, Breaker, that's a two-niner delta lima," which gave me the giggles. Luckily, they were too busy speaking their own language to notice. Then, he turns to me and translates. He says, "OK, my friend, on your bottom right you've got a little decay that we're gonna need to fix." But if you were a dentist/hygienist, you probably already knew that!

It's Craig Ballantyne's Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Craig! And Thanks for giving us the presents! If you order Turbulence Training by this Wednesday, there are a TON of birthday bonuses! (Don't worry, if you already bought TT you can download all these on the TT forum.) I'm currently using #5 - TT for Amazing Lower Abs!

Here are the bonuses (no choices here - you get to download them all if you order by this Wednesday):

1) Bikini Ready Abs by Holly Rigsby
Holly is America's #1 Fat Loss Expert for Moms. Her clients can't afford to spend hours in a gym or even 60-minutes watching an exercise video, so you'll get her fast ab exercise secrets.

2) The Abdominal Exercise Index
You get beginner, intermediate, and advanced ab exercises from top-secret personal trainers to help you get the 6-packs abs you need for summer.

3) Meal Plans for Men & Women by Dr. Chris Mohr and Jayson Hunter
If you have difficulty designing a diet plan on your own, Dr. Chris Mohr's meal plans will show you EXACTLY what to eat at every meal.

4) 10-Minute Trouble Spot Workout for Women by Joey Atlas
Joey Atlas is the expert when it comes to tightening and toning the classic female trouble spots of buns, hips, and thighs. With this 10-minute lower body makeover, you'll have the perfect legs for swimsuit season.

5) TT for Amazing Lower Abs by Craig Ballantyne
If you want to lose your lower belly fat and get the ripped lower abs you've only seen on fitness models, this is the best Turbulence Training program for your goals.

6) The Turbulence Training Hardcore Fat Loss 4-Week Program by Craig Ballantyne
Designed to help TT users cut and shape their body in time for summer, this advanced fat loss program blowtorches your fat right off your body in record time.

7) Kettlebell Fat Burning Workout Unleashed by Troy Anderson
The Russian Kettlebell Fat Burning Secret has finally come to theTurbulence Training system. Put together, these two PROVEN methodsof fat burning will help you unleash your abs, define your arms, and lean out your legs for your best body ever.

8) Home Gym Muscle Building Workout by Jay Ferruggia
Classic muscle building workout program for a home gym that has only dumbells and your bodyweight. Craig says, "Jay Ferruggia is my go-to strength coach when I need to improve my own muscle building workouts. I begged Jay to let me give this program to you, but he said he would let me...but only for 3 days. And then he said, 'Take it down or else!' "

9) The Big 5 Fat Loss Turbulence Training Circuit Workout by Craig Ballantyne
The top 5 movements for fat loss and why each total-body belly fat burning program must have these exercises if you want to sculpt your best body ever.

10) A 6-Month Basic Level Membership to the Turbulence Training Discussion Forums & Other Exclusive Fat Loss Info
The support I have gotten from the forums I believe is one of the most important keys to my success. It's given me advice and answers to my questions, accountability, and a good butt-kicking when I need it! And 6 months free is fabulous! (Usually it's 3 months free)

CLICK HERE to order now!

Week in Review

Eat Stop Eat: My 4-week Eat Stop Eat experiment has concluded. In that time, I lost about 5 lbs and about 1-2% body fat. I liked it because I didn't have to plan or cook meals on my fasting days. It was easy to do and the calorie deficit was just as if I had been "dieting", but without the dieting. It's given me more control over what I eat and it's easier to "just say no". It feels empowering to be in control of what you eat. I'm at the point where if I want cheesecake or [insert other treat here] I can have a small piece and not want to eat the whole cake. You can and should be able to live your life without restricting yourself all the time. That's just going to set you up for a binge. But you have to gain that control first. I will definitely use Eat Stop Eat in the future for weight loss, but also if I feel my will power slipping and want to regain that control.

Body fat: I had my body fat % tested at my gym this week. She took measurements at my abdomen, thigh, tricep and suprailiac. Using her 4-measurement chart, I was at 24%. Using her 3-measurement chart (without the thigh), I was at 27%. I went online and plugged my measurements into the Jackson/Pollack 3 and 4 measurement method and got 24% for both. So, bottom line, if 3 out 4 say I am at 24%, that's what I am going to go by!

New Turbulence Training Contest: If you haven't entered yet, what are you waiting for? CLICK HERE for all the details!