It seems to be the #1 nutrition trend making the rounds on the internet.

But here’s the thing. I have some serious concerns about it that I want to share with you.

So if you’ve been thinking about trying keto, or if you’re using it now, I’m hoping this will be helpful for you.

What is Keto?

Keto is short for ketosis or ketogenic.

This nutritional approach was first introduced as a treatment for child epilepsy and was always intended to be done under doctor supervision.

How it’s supposed to work

Your body basically has 4 fuel sources it can use:

1. Glucose (stored in muscle and liver)

2. Fatty Acids (stored in body fat)

3. Protein (stored mostly in muscles)

4. Ketones (no major storage)

Now, most tissues in your body prefer to use a combination of glucose and fatty acids.

The exception is the brain which can only use glucose or ketones.

By starving the body of glucose you trigger the production of ketones. And by...

A question many ask is this: I like to get cardio out of the way or I enjoy cardio, so can I do cardio first? The answer depends on your goals.

Aerobic vs Anaerobic

I know we are starting off with some big words!

Some of the questions you may have asked in the past is “why can’t I do cardio before my workout and get it out of the way?” Or you may also wonder why HIIT is recommended for you to do instead of just a plain old treadmill workout.

In the following sections, I will explain all this to you.

Back to big words.

ATP And Other Fun Stuff

Your body needs ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as a fuel for your muscles to contract. Without ATP, no bicep curls..or squats for that matter. There are a few systems in your body that use ATP for energy, two of them are your anaerobic system (lactic acid system), and your aerobic system (oxygen system).

Anaerobic System:

Your anaerobic system breaks down glycogen (which is kind of the energy created from...

Every month, we highlight a client of ours that has been with us and we have watched them transform body and mind. This month, we have the pleasure of sharing Delisha's story with you.

Delisha explains herself as "a simple girl from Houston, TX! The youngest of 5, educator, artist, and dreamcatcher collector." She began with our VIP Transformation program back in the summer of 2017 and went through our program for several months. 

When Delisha applied to our program, she shared her heart about what she was looking for:

"By the end of our time together I want to be mentally and physically fit. I want to love myself on the outside... I want to have my best body before I'm 27"

The thing is, many of us have struggled over and over, without being able to accomplish what we set out to do. We always ask if applicants have tried other diets, for Delisha she shared she had, and how it worked out:

"I've done whole 30 unsuccessfully many times and just other random diets."

...

Many of our clients and those who do our programs come to us and ask why they aren’t seeing progress. When discussing progress, it is important to ask a few questions about your routine.

Most workout routines have a few specific elements: stretching/warm-up, cardio, resistance training (weight training), and cool down. When discussing a workout, many don’t take time to think about the makeup of their training but go haphazardly into a gym session.

We’ve talked to so many who may not be familiar with the best routine, and we wanted to educate our community on cardio. We want to make sure you know how to follow a routine that will produce the best results in the most efficient way possible.

Concerning a workout routine, you should follow this sequence: stretching, light warmup (no more than 10 minutes), weight training, and then cardio/HIIT, post-workout stretching. You should never be doing your cardio before your weight training. Period.

What types of...

I think a lot about how I can bring value to my community and how I can help you all grow in fitness and personally. I think one of the biggest struggles people have is understanding how to get started. Or maybe what tools to use to help you succeed. One of my favorite sayings that I live by is “if you fail to plan you plan to fail.” What this means, is that if you don’t plan out your workouts, or plan out what you will eat, you will likely not stick to it.

This is true of most things. I also believe it is important to equip yourself which is part of the planning phase. Imagine if a carpenter were planning on building a cabinet but came without any tools or any lumber. This would be ill-advised. The same goes with fitness. If you need to be eating certain foods, or follow a certain fitness regimen, you may find yourself missing out on the basic essentials for success that could make or break how well you do.

The following tools are all tools I use on a regular...

Each month we share a VIP client spotlight transformation! This spotlight has ranged from moms who have transformed their bodies over the life of the program, to recent college graduates who wanted to get their bodies back from before their Freshman 15.

We have been blessed to be able to help so many of our clients succeed in such powerful ways. What keeps us excited is the stories we receive from them about their journey. We believe that health and fitness is more than just a body change. It is a life change. This is one of the most important factors in living the life you love.

Who is Miami?
I am a 24 years old and I just finished my masters program at University of Miami. I am from Sacramento, California where I played sports most my life. From gymnastics, dance, Tae Kwon Do and soccer. I love travel and adventure, traveling is like a second home for me! It allows me to do new things that give me joy like camping, hiking, playing sports, and being by the ocean in...

Not all Protein Bars are created equal! Be sure to read labels and choose bars according to your goals. We were interested in see how these advertised “healthy bars” compared. The results for some are rather shocking. I have provided a list of popular Protein Bars with ratings of absolute worst to the best.

Protein Bars are awesome on-the-go snacks or meal replacements but keep in mind ‘ALL THINGS IN MODERATION’—For a greater selection in store the best places to find these bars are at your local vitamin shoppe, GNC, Compete Nutrition, etc. You can also purchase in bulk online through many different online stores such as Bodybuilding.com. Below has the comparisons, ENJOY! (But not too much)

Fit Crunch Protein Bar—Peanut Butter
Worst Bar of all on the list—almost the highest grams for weight at 88g this is more than all the other bars listed. This is also a SHOCKING 380 calories a bar! Most consume theres bars as an on-the-go snack...

Win on Sunday and you’ll see victories throughout the week–The Secret Is Meal Prep

 What is your biggest obstacle in staying true to following your meal prep/plan and a healthy eating lifestyle?

It’s not the slew of weddings you had to attend every weekend this summer and fall. And it’s not the happy hours that you felt you needed to have “just one” beer at. It’s not even the temptation of the pizza place down the street, which is only a phone call and a 7 minute wait away (this is NOT from past experience, mind you).

All these are secondary issues. The real issue starts with your Sunday. Yes, you heard me right. If you don’t set apart time to create a system of healthy meals that are readily available to you, you will submit to your cravings one late night because your willpower will eventually succumb to your cravings. Remember: “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” Here’s what you...

VIP Spotlight: Miami’s Transformation Before the Peace Corps
Each month we share a VIP client spotlight transformation! This spotlight has ranged from moms who have transformed their bodies over the life of the program, to recent college graduates who wanted to get their bodies back from before their Freshman 15.

We have been blessed to be able to help so many of our clients succeed in such powerful ways. What keeps us excited is the stories we receive from them about their journey. We believe that health and fitness is more than just a body change. It is a life change. This is one of the most important factors in living the life you love.

Who is Miami?
I am a 24 years old and I just finished my masters program at University of Miami. I am from Sacramento, California where I played sports most my life. From gymnastics, dance, Tae Kwon Do and soccer. I love travel and adventure, traveling is like a second home for me! It allows me to do new things that give me...

The background
Sometimes we get to glimpse into the transformation of our clients. Sometimes we get to sit at the front row and enjoy the beautiful view. This is one of those times.

We have been so blessed to have Micaela and Trenton as clients. To see their journey from the beginning to now has been nothing short of amazing. We hope their story not only inspires you, but encourages you to know that you can make changes to your diet and life, and you are powerful enough to create that change. This is Micaela and Trenton, and this is their story.

Starting Out

We were trying to lose weight on our own at first, but it was too difficult. We didn’t know what to eat and we had no idea what exercises to do in the gym. I (Micaela) was so insecure with my body and it was really starting to affect my overall happiness.

I didn’t like going out because I felt fat in everything I would put on. When I saw how uplifted Daisey was after being on the program I knew I wanted to be a part...