Supplement Your Way to Success

When it comes to living healthy, working out and eating right, there is no one-size-fits-all system. There is not one grocery list that everyone would be happy with, and there is not one particular exercise that would work for every single person on the planet.

We all have different goals and different needs. We all have different activity levels and food preferences. Therefore, we have to supplement what we are missing, or don’t like, in order to get the most out of our life and health.

Supplementing Nutrients

Sure, anyone can go hard-core on their eating or exercise for a season but, when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, you have to be realistic with what will work for you. This is where supplements come in. Before we continue, let’s take a look at what a supplement really is. Here’s what Webster says.

Supplement: Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole.

Synonyms: Add to, compliment, reinforce, augment, extend, fill out.

Unfortunately, many people don’t use supplements how they are designed. They rely on an energy supplement for ALL their energy, or their protein supplement to get ALL their protein. That isn’t how a supplement is supposed to work. Supplements were created to reinforce your diet and exercise program, not replace it.

Getting all the nutrients you need to succeed is challenging in today’s world, and with our hectic schedules. If you are like me, and you work hard in the gym and care about your health, you don’t want to throw it away on a poor diet. You want your body to be as healthy as possible, to heal as quickly as possible, and to get results as fast as possible. THAT’S why supplements are so valuable.

For example, one of my favorite quick fixes is the Total Lean Breakfast Bar. Some would argue that a homemade healthy balanced meal would be a better choice. My response is this: if I am eating a Breakfast Bar, then the only other choice was eating nothing at all. So, the Breakfast Bar was an excellent choice.

You see, I don’t rely on protein bars and/or pre-packaged meals and snacks for fuel. I use them when whole food isn’t an option. Protein shakes and bars are a fantastic solution for people on the go. Before I supplemented my diet, I skipped breakfast and never got enough protein in my diet. While I eat very healthy, now supplements help me get the nutrients I was once lacking, so I can reach my health and fitness goals.

Supplementing Exercise

If we lived back in the old days, we may not need to add a workout to our schedule. Working on the farm, or doing daily task might have kept our bodies more fit naturally. However, in today’s computer age, where we drive everywhere we need to go and communicate with everyone by a computerized device, we do a lot less walking and expend a lot fewer calories. So, we have to supplement. That’s why exercise is SO important today. The same way most people don’t get all the nutrients they need in their food, most people don’t get enough exercise through regular daily living.

Once you begin exercising, then you learn that not every workout works for you. One thing I love about the Total Lean Challenge workout program is that Steve shows all kinds of modifications. If you don’t have weights, he makes suggestions of how you can “supplement”. Whether you are making the exercise easier or harder, he shows various options so you can adjust that workout to fit your needs.

A healthy lifestyle is doable for everyone at anytime in his or her life – we just all need to learn to get the right supplements. If you lack activity, you supplement it with exercise. If you don’t have all the right tools to exercise, you supplement with what you do have. If you can’t get all the nutrients you need, you supplement it with what you are missing. Whether you supplement a little or a lot, you are better, healthier and happier because you are more complete – reinforced, augmented, extended, fulfilled.

Today’s Surprise Saturday Workout

Try one of the workout routines led by Steve Pfiester or do the Surprise Saturday workout for today (described below). I’m doing the Saturday Workout today! I will be running the bridges with my BFF, Kristie. The route: 5.5 mile loop from Riverside Park, over the Barber Bridge to Indian River Drive, then over the 17th Bridge back over to A1A back to Route 60 to Riverside Park, which will take us about an hour.

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CLICK HERE to check out the Total Lean challenge. Try one of the workouts, or try them all. The Total Lean challenge offers a 90 day meal plan and workout program – and you can join the challenge anytime!!

5 Ways I Supplement

1. Total Lean Vitamins. I simply cannot get all the vitamins in nutrients I need, and stay within my desired caloric allowance without vitamins.

2. Total Lean Shake 25. I have one shake right after my workout, and another shake before I go to bed if I haven’t met my daily protein goal. For me, I try to get .75-1gm of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight.

3. Total Lean Breakfast Bars. I keep these on hand in case I am in a hurry and need to eat on the run. They are super yummy and go so good with my coffee!

4. Protein Bars. I keep a protein bar on me at all times, so that if I get hungry, I never am tempted to grab fast food or go off plan. They have saved me from making many stupid mistakes.

5. Activity. I wear the Jawbone UP that helps me track my steps. My goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day. If I know I won’t reach my goal, I go for a 3-mile run to supplement my lack of activity on inactive days.

Realistic Healthy Lifestyle Tips:

1. Cook in advance. I cook all my meat on Sundays (see my vlog below) so I have meat already prepared for all my meals. My favorite meats to cook is grilled chicken, pulled chicken in a crock pot, turkey meatloaf, apple, walnut & chicken salad, curry chicken salad and tuna salad. Chicken and tuna salads are a great solution for eating on the run when a microwave isn’t handy.

2. Plan my workout for the week.  If I don’t make a plan, I am not as motivated to workout. If you are new to working out, or don’t like to think, the Total Lean Challenge workout program makes planning easy. Today’s workout is the Saturday Surprise workout, so today I just have to walk, hike or bike for 60 minutes! How’s that for easy planning?!

3. Set weekly goals. I have a few guidelines I try to follow so I never get out of my routine. Workout no fewer than 3 times a week, and never go more than 3 days without exercise. No matter what happens, always start fresh and strong Monday.

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Curry Chicken Salad

3 Chicken Breast
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/8 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup light mayo (or yogurt) 
1 C chopped grapes
1 T stevia
1 T curry powder
salt & pepper
Cucumber (optional)

Mix it all up and pop it in the fridge to chill. Cut a cucumber in half, longways, and scoop out the seeds with a tablespoon until it makes a nice boat. Serve the chicken salad on the cucumber boat. Serve with wheat thins if you are serving guests. Dieters skip the chips and just enjoy it as is.

FitFluential LLC compensated me for this Campaign. All opinions are my own.