It’s Friday and you’ve survived the first week easing into the bikini series. How was it? Did you make time for your workouts? Did you create your vision board? If not, get on track this weekend! How did you like your ‘Under the Sea Workout’? It looks like a fun underwater exploration, but we sneak in the hard exercises with a smile so you don’t even have time to think ‘wait this is work!?’. We don’t do anything unless we’re having a good time, so you’ll notice that trend in the entire Series :)

We have some challenges for you moving forward~

We’ll be releasing progressive challenges over the next 7 weeks. Once you apply them, we ask you to keep them up for the entire series. Imagine this.. 40 more challenges applied to your lifestyle. By the end of the Bikini Series you’ll have 40 new habits.. nothing will break you this summer!!

First, we are laying out some ‘must-dos’. The #1 rule? Do everything with your best intention and remind yourself of your goals every day. A Happy, Healthy, Confident YOU! That’s why your vision board is so vital for your goals and mind set. Karena and I try to talk ourselves out of obstacles and challenges all the time.. but it just takes one look at our board and we are focused. We promise, you’ll never want to set a goal again without putting your dreams on paper!.. or pinterest ;)

Check out everyones’ boards so far! There’s over 7,600 girls following your boards in just two days!!! If you don’t see your board, we’re still posting! If you haven’t sent it in, send it to us this weekend at contact@toneitup.com.

Since you are fully committed to this challenge.. you MUST do these every day:

1. Check-in with your trainers, and each other every day on the blog, facebook or twitter. We’re here to support you and get you to achieve your goals! We’re all holding you accountable :) You know the drill!!!

2. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water.. at least. Ex 150 lbs = 75 ounces throughout the day.

3. Eat what we call, LEAN, CLEAN & GREEN!!! This is for the 8 weeks.. you can do anything for 8 weeks, right? No heavy white starches (white breads), large portions of cheeses or fried food. We don’t want you to be obsessive. Leave a little wiggle room for your favorite foods. If you want to know how much or if it’s okay to have; Ask us! We never say no.. we just tell you how to make it work. Yup. that’s how we do at TIU.

4. Can I have some cocktails? Yes, you can have the occasional drink. We prefer you to have a glass of red wine a couple times a week, a glass of champagne or a vodka soda with fresh lime or crushed raspberries. Check out some TIU approved cocktails here. If you’re on our Nutrition Plan, we include a ton of recipes that we love. Cheers!

5. Set your alarm at least 4 times a week for your Booty Call.. Read below to find out what your Booty Call is!

6. Read through your challenges carefully. They are progressive and by the end of the challenge, you will have so many healthy HABITS ~ your new lifestyle. If you have any questions or concerns, ask away!! We’re your trainers! There are also thousands of women/girls/señoritas, who successfully finished the Bikini Series last year that want to provide support too. They’re not only the TIU Team.. they’re the Dream Team. If you’re new to this community of women, you’ll quickly realize that everyone here has a goal of their own, but also has some insight and advice for another. We’re all here to support each other. Why have it any other way? Women that all have a few things in common to achieve their Dreams.. Desire, Determination & Dedication… with no distractions.

What about Nutrition?

We’ll have plenty of Nutrition Challenges along the way. Nutrition is equally as important as exercise. We do have some advice on how you can live it up, while you tone it up. Here we go…

Put those fat storing carbohydrates down and pick up the good ones!

What else should I know about staying ‘TIU Approved?’

We want you to say bye-bye to chemicals that cause you to hold onto stubborn fat cells, make you tired and that cause hunger and cellulite. In return you can say hello to abs, a healthy brain, healthy joints, a functioning liver, beautiful skin and a higher metabolism. Ask any of the girls from last year’s Bikini Series! Chemicals in artificial sweeteners can also cause cancer, so we’re going to get rid of them for 8 weeks.. at the least! We know you’ll never go back. We used to be fake-sugar-junkies. It can only hold you back from your goals, so trust us when we say, it’s worth eating what mother nature made YOU! She knows best.

Where are the harsh chemicals hidden?

Diet coke and most diet sodas, flavored waters (unless natural), splenda packets when you get your coffee, boxed ‘diet’ foods, non-organic yogurt (which is loaded with chemicals by the way), sugar-free coffee creamers, some ‘protein bars’ and powders. You should be able to pronounce all ingredients on the side of your packaging. This is SO important to get bikini ready. You’re now asking, well what do I eat!? If you like soda, you can look for an organic kind like ‘Blue Sky’ or others made with stevia. You can also drink flavored waters that are all natural without the chemical sweeteners. We like bubbly water or Zico coconut water. You can also grab a kombucha! We talk about kombucha a lot. We’re big on balancing your pH levels.

Is sugar okay? YES!  Sugar is 100% fine, especially if it’s natural. If you want to add a packet of sugar to your coffee.. go for it! We like ‘in the raw’ sugar. It’s better than sugar-free chemicals, so YES. The point of living.. is not distracting yourself with obsessive claims or ‘rules’ that are impossible to live by. Mother nature did make sugar right? Stay closest to the natural form. If you’re keeping up with your workouts, combining your foods with low glycemic index foods and high fiber foods, a little sugar will keep your life sweet and happy :) Your body needs sugar to replenish energy levels, glycogen in your body and to increase delivery of protein to repair those hard earned muscles.

How should you hydrate or quench your thirst? We like adding crushed fresh fruit to our water.  Instead of splenda in your coffee, add some almond milk and 1 natural sugar packet. We like vanilla almond milk instead of creamer. Instead of the non-organic yogurts, grab an all natural kind, like 0%-1% Greek yogurt that’s loaded with lean protein! We want you to have calories instead of chemicals. You’re abs and body will thank us later.

Tone It Up Nutrition Plan TIP: let your water sit in fresh cut fruit, mint and stevia over night for an all natural refreshing summer drink. You can also use soda water for a ♥ Summer Spritzer ♥

And speaking of protein.. protein never upset anyone’s stomach. If you’re eating lean, clean protein, you will not get gassy or bloated. Why do some protein powders cause this? The chemicals that are in them to mask the taste. We like organic, sprouted brown rice protein. Go to your local nutrition store and find an all natural kind. We’ve fallen victim to the protein powders before, so check your labels and don’t make the same mistake we have.

We could go on for hours, but here’s a quick rundown. What to avoid.. ingredients that you can’t pronounce (if you question it, ask us).. avoid splenda, aspartame & sweet n low.. also watch for high fructose corn syrup. We know this seems like a lot, but when you think about it, it’s just 8 weeks to try it out, right?

What is my Booty Call Workout?

There’s a little hash tag buzzing around on twitter, and it’s not what you think.  #BootyCall & #BC is your TIU Booty Call. The dream team wakes up 30 minutes early to sneak in a fat burning workout - a walk, jog, yoga, workout DVD - anything! Just get moving first thing to burn stubborn fat, awaken your heart and mind, break a quick sweat and to start your day off a few steps closer to your goals. We promise, this will become a habit. We are not naturally morning people, but this is something that is part of our day.. if we don’t get it in, we don’t feel right!

Picture from this month’s SELF Magazine & Drop 10 Challenge!

We’re counting on you in the morning. Imagine us waking you up and saying ‘DO THIS FOR YOU! You will not regret it’. Your alarm better be set!! :) Set it 30 minutes early & sneak it in! Studies show that people who workout first thing in the morning burn a slightly higher percentage of fat AND are more likely to stick to a program and lose inches with a fat burning program. It increases your core temperature for the rest of the day :) Do you workout later in the day? That’s okay!  Sneak in your bootycall, but make it a walk, a 20 minute stretch session, a HIIT routine so later you can focus on toning or even a little stroll with the hubby before he goes to work. Turn it into something that benefits you and your life.

*** If you’re our 4:30 am workers, add 1 mile later to your cardio when you can sneak it in.

Did you print April’s calendar? We release a new calendar each month :)

Go to this link to save your calendar in high resolution…

Your challenge today!!!

Finally getting to it :) Haha!! Sweat for 40 minutes. Yup!  Whether it’s a workout from your Beach Babe DVD, your Under the Sea Workout, a class.. it can be anything!

We also challenge you to plan activity this weekend. Remember what we say about weekends.. for every Friday, Saturday & Sunday that you take off from working out & eating healthy, that’s about HALF of the MONTH!!! The weekends count more than ever to get bikini ready!! It can mean up to a 4.3 pound weight loss (or gain) in a month. We challenge you to workout both Saturday & Sunday this weekend. Even if it’s a day at the park with your family, a quick 20 minute HIIT workout in the mornings or a sweat session with a friend.. fit it in! If you have some events to go to, eat healthy, choose low calorie options - no fried food! Also, choose a glass of champagne over sugary drinks or a glass of wine. You’ll thank us later ;) No keg stands or beer guzzling this weekend ladies ;)