Pour Me A Drink For Some Abs!

Would it not be wonderful if all you had to do to get in shape, to have a 6 or possibly 8 pack, was take a "magic" pill or drink an odd color liquid? 

NO, not wonderful! And yet, advertisements for this magic still exist in health magazines and on the TV. I am honestly amazed that those companies have enough money to produce those marketing ventures... but then again, people continue to buy despite a lack of results (because let's be honest, if an affordable pill could be taken once a day to give you a washboard stomach and some tone arms - then everyone taking it would look amazing, pass it on to a friend and the multiplication process would be outstanding, not to mention everyone in the country would be mistaken for a Nike or Underarmour model)!


Well I abandoned my writers block, finally! - all because of two things: 1. My new month of Runner's World arrived yesterday and 2. People saying I'm skinny, or wasting away to nothing, or (my personal favorite) you're so lucky you have that body, "it's sooo easy for you"!


I honestly do wish that I could make a part-time profession for myself by being a "Life Coach." I have a handful of people who I need to be finishing workout schedules for or nutritional packets... my apologies for my extreme tardiness. But here is the thing, I stay in the shape I am partly because of my genetics but a lot of it comes from what I consume, when I consume and what I choose to do for activities. So, I am sharing my liquid fitness tips - because I'm not wasting away to nothing and "sooo easy" to have this body just means I work at it. 


FOR ALL OF THOSE SEARCHING FOR THOSE LINES ABOVE THE HIPS AND BELOW THE CHEST This following information is for you to drink!


1. Do NOT DRINK your calories. This needs to be your mantra if you are trying to see your abs! However, when I say that I am not excluding protein shakes or soups - those are great! What I am hoping you will avoid is the 8 oz. coffee with creamer & sugar, the caffeine free soda, juice of any kind, mix drinks and beer. Your body wants water, it needs water and while you may not like the taste of it... your tongue will get over it. 


2. I LIKE it HOT. Almost after every meal I have a warm cup of tea. In the morning with breakfast I will drink hot black coffee, then about an hour or two later I will consume a green tea (when I have a sweet tooth I add honey or agave)... finally, later in the day I will turn towards a caffeine free or specifically a white tea. Even a cup of warm water with fresh lemon juice has made it onto my evening drink menu. If there is any specific scientific reason for this consumption, I do not know it well enough to properly explain it, however I do know/believe it plays a part in keeping me fit.


3. CHOCOLATE RECOVERY. If you are very active and do have great workouts at the gym or runs that break you down, recover with a glass of chocolate milk (I drink chocolate slimfast - I cannot drink milk but can somehow consume this). All water does is semi-replace your sweat. Chocolate milk has DOUBLE the carbs and protein compared to most sports drinks or plain milk. The water part of C.M. replaces your fluids lost in sweating, it adds a nutritional jackpot of calcium, a bit of sodium and sugar - which is exactly what you need for recovery and energy after a good workout. Notice that at no point did I say Chocolate Milkshake. All in all, if you are helping your muscles recover from workouts then you are not "too sore" to do something the next day! And so the fitness cycle begins!


*4. MARGARITA BARTENDER PLEASE. Drinking is NOT going to maintain abs. But let's enjoy the social life when you spend the first part of your day dying with P90X! While the drinks may not be as "sweet" as the original recipes, you can make alterations to most popular "chick" drinks and cut the calories by 200+. My example - The Skinny Margarita: 
Add your ice to the glass, ~2 oz. of white tequila, juice from 4 lime wedges and a splash or Grand Marnier
Or
Margarita Glass of Ice, ~2 oz. of white tequila, juice from 4 lime wedges and one lemon wedge, a small packet of splenda or a few drops of agave syrup
A margarita at a girlfriends house or the bar could easily be up to 300 calories and almost 30 carbs per drink (depending on the mix they use!)! The recipes above from me may max out at 100 calories and carbs are drastically cut! Again, DO not drink your Calories!

Whether one of these points can become a habit for you, or all of them, remember that things take time and if you are looking for your fitness - do not give up, stay confident and change the little things first!