This is a  meal in a glass smoothie. I love the burst of flavor from the berries and oranges juice. Packed with carbohydrate and powerful antioxidants . Getting plenty of antioxidant-rich foods makes sense for active people, since free radicals are produced any time the body's cells process oxygen.

1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen berries
3/4 cup coconut yogurt or low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 scoop protein powder
1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

From http://lifeplusfitness.blogspot.com

It’s something that we all struggle with on occasion, or maybe we struggle with it MORE than just on random occasions. All these thoughts run around in our heads feeding us random lines of excuse. Filling our brains with all the reasons we just can’t fit in our workout for the day. Common thoughts are. “I just finished eating”, or “I am so burnt out today”, or “I just don’t have the time to fit it in”. I know these feelings all too well because I deal with my own self destructive patterns when it comes to working out. So in an effort to help us all overcome our workout objections and procrastinations, I have compiled a list of suggestions to help combat workout derailment.

~WORKOUT IN THE MORNING This suggestion is something continually recommended in all the reading I have ever done on getting your workout done for the day. If you would rather get your workout out of the way, and not have to worry about it the rest of the day, this option is most definitely for you. Now, if you are not a morning person like me, this may not work for you. I have tried working out in the morning and most days it just feels like I am dragging, so I work out around two or three. But I know plenty of people who solidly work out in the morning and they love it. They love it because they have accomplished their workout goal early, and they feel great the rest of the day.

~SLEEP IN YOUR WORKOUT CLOTHES A tip I actually got from someone I met on twitter, her name currently escapes me. She says the best thing to do is sleep in your workout clothes (clean ones of course, lol). Then you will be all ready for your workout, all you have to do then is just slip on a pair of shoes. It makes things a lot easier if your objection is I just don’t feel like getting my workout clothes on.

~SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUT TIME AND STICK TO IT I think one of the best things you can, do whether you are a morning workout person or night workout person, is to schedule out a time during the day that you know you will set aside for your workout. The time you set aside will have to be a time that you know you will make yourself a priority, and at a time that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt you will stay true to. If you let everyone around you know that you have set aside this time for your health and wellness, and that excluding any emergencies that time is set aside for you and is not to be compromised, people will then get the idea that you are not to be bothered and will respect your workout time.

~MAKE SURE YOUR WORKOUT PROGRAM IS FULL OF VARIETY It is is very important to use variety in your workout. Getting bored with your workout is very common and something that can deter your workout commitment in a big way. Not only do your muscles become used to the workout you are doing therefore seeing less of a challenge. Your mind gets used to the same old thing day in day out too! Mix it up for variety it’s the spice of life.

~SET REALISTIC GOALS FOR WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE Setting unrealistic goals for yourself is a big way to derail your motivation and inclination to stick to your workouts. First of all realize that if you have a lot of weight to lose it most likely didn’t get there over night. Therefore it is unrealistic to expect that the weight will come off more quickly then you put it on. Set realistic goals for yourself. While you’re major goal may be to lose 50 pounds total, split your big goal in to mini goals. Take it 10 pounds at a time and then reward yourself with something you want each time you hit a new milestone. It feels a whole lot less overwhelming this way.

~PLAN OUT YOUR WORKOUTS Planning out your workout is a great thing to do to keep you on track. This way all you will have to focus on is doing the workout. Personally I am currently doing the Turbo Fire workout and am following the standard schedule included with the program, but have also added to the schedule using Chalean Extreme (made my own hybrid schedule) since I prefer to use my Bowflex weights instead of bands. When I go to do my workouts for the day I already know what will have to be done, no extra thought necessary. My only focus needs to be on getting through the workout and doing the best I can. Planning your workouts will help you to do that.

~REMEMBER YOU ARE THE GREATEST OBSTICLE TO YOUR SUCCESS It is as simple as this. Your mind is the greatest obstacle to your personal success. If your focus on fitness has mentally gotten off track, take a step back and re-motivate yourself mentally. Be sure to remind yourself of all the reasons why it is important to stay fit, happy and healthy. Rededicate yourself to the most important asset and cause that you have, YOURSELF! --

Christina Lynn Myers Hearts A-Flutter Enterprises, LLC. http://www.heartsaflutter.net

Ever since I gave up hope I feel a lot better. I know hope sounds like a good thing to have; an essential for a life of meaning and purpose. But I got tired of hoping and waiting and getting depressed when nothing changed and starting over; so I stopped giving up and gave up hope instead.

Hope is the light at the end of the tunnel perpetually reminding you that you are IN a tunnel. Hope is the idea that there is something better out there, and if the stars align, if you blow on the dice just right, if you get the right cards from the dealer, or the little ball falls in just the right spot, everything will be different...perfect...ideal. Hope tells you that there is something better than where you are, but you don’t have the power to get there. Hope constantly tells you that you are NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE!

That’s depressing.

When you think about it, gambling is nothing but quantified hope. The fine print on a lottery ticket tells you exactly how far to get your hopes up. Las Vegas is a town built on (and bankrolled by) hope, but the most successful people there aren’t the ones winning million dollar jackpots. The people making all the money don’t really gamble, because nobody gambles to win. People gamble to lose. If someone actually does, by freak accident, win that huge wad of cash they were hoping for...the one they thought would solve all of their financial problems... they rush to give it (and more) back to the casino.

How many people do you know who have actually come back from Vegas with more money than they left with?

My point exactly.

You don’t get what you HOPE for, you get what you WORK for. Success never blindsides anyone. Fitness is never shocking. Athletic achievement is rarely a suprise. A 400 lb bench press does not catch an athlete off-guard. Nobody ever got to the end of the Boston Marathon and exclaimed “I just hoped I could finish!” Finishing well is not a miracle; having the courage to make a shaky start toward a goal which is well beyond your current ability IS.

We all CAN, but CAN and DO are very different things.

I will not lie. It will take LOTS of work; there is no telling how many miles you will run when you chase your dreams. It will take discipline to remember what you want, but if you never go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you never ask, the answer will always be no. If you don’t step forward, you will always be in the same place. Are you waiting, hoping, for someone to give you a chance, or are you going to take one?

There WILL be mountains and hills along the way, but no tunnel for there to be a light at the end of. Well-meaning friends and family will tell you that you can avoid the hills, but what is so good about the flat? Flat tires, flat-lining, flat soda, and flat hair? LIFE happens in the hills. Mountains are opportunities to prove yourself that you are stronger than you ever imagined. There is also some pretty amazing scenery along the way.

Your friends at the gym are here to guide you to (and through) the rare air at the peak, but you can only get there by working. Wishing, waiting, wanting, and hoping won’t do it.

Stop hoping for a better tomorrow; it keeps you from enjoying today.