Eat clean to train hard...don't train hard to justify just eating more!

Celebrate your little victories!

Fresh start today, today we look at the world with a new perspective! In the crazy world we live in it becomes easy to get overwhelmed by all the objectives you have yet to meet, leaving us uninspired and lost. Here's a better idea, starting today we celebrate the little victories of the everyday as it is those little victories that push us forward towards reaching the mountaintops. Every success driving us closer to achieving  bigger goals. Allowing yourself to be overwhelmed by all that is not done, not accomplished, only stagnates progress leading to further frustration and often finding you are stuck...frozen...Start today, pick a few little things, get started and celebrate the little victories as you go, I promise you will find inspiration in progress. The harder you work the more sense of pride you will earn as you strive to be the best you!

How many little victories will you celebrate today?
Made a clean food swap? Tried a new healthy recipe?
Walking through the kitchen without popping an unplanned snack in your mouth?
Powering through an extra 2 minutes of cardio?
Added 5 lbs to your squat at the gym?
Completing all your scheduled workouts for the week? Sneaking in an extra workout this week?
Remembering to take all your vitamins and staying properly hydrated?

All these may seem like small, just plain daily routine decisions but little victories in seemingly little decisions all add up to moving forward, accomplishing greater goals. Celebrating (with a enthusiatic woo-hoo or a jump for joy   :) ...not a batch of cookies! ) little victories can give you just the little boost you need to push yourself and believe you can accomplish a little more, feeding your inspiration, motivation and sense of pride. Believe you can reach those mountaintops and accomplish those goals you have set for yourself!

Is the lack of time or lack of focus?

The biggest excuse I hear about people not getting regular exercise is that they don't have time.....Excuse me...I live in the real world right along with you...work a full time job with a long commute, have 2 kids and I find the time...I make the time. Take a minute and really assess your productivity, how many hours are you wasting stalking people on FB or watching TV. Don't get me wrong I watch TV but never sitting on the couch. Tape it, DVR it do what you have to to watch it while you gets some cardio in . I don't remember the last time I grabbed the remote and sat down to watch anything unless the seat had peddles. Too tired? Hit the off switch, sign off the Internet and turn off the light, get to sleep earlier, drag your butt out of bed earlier and start the day with a sweat session, then no excuses as the day goes on, already got it done.
Short rant over....

Seriously, this is your life, your health and the health of your children we are talking about. Make exercise and healthy eating a priority, schedule an appointment with yourself before you overbook your days!   Take a look at how effectively you use your time. The effectiveness of multitasking is debatable....but try organizing your day making a 'priority list' and just get started! Look at the ultimate time eater...running errands...plan ahead and complete these geographically, save time and gas and maybe hit the gym if the days paths travel by... :)  

Don't know about you but the to-list haunts me...never completed and often overwhelming. Stop worrying about finishing it just get started, amazing how much better I feel after just checking off a few things, fueling the fire to continue on with a productive day. On the topic of to-do lists,  the daily workings of life and a household can often clog up the to-do list as they are a rolling daily requirement...laundry, meals planning and preparation, dishes, cleaning etc. Try leaving them off the list, stay with me....make them part of routine....laundry basket full? Toss the load in, don't wait for laundry day and waste a Saturday in the basement. Same with dishes, wash them or get them directly to the dishwasher after every meal, no one wants to look at a  sinkful of dishes when they get home from work.  Meals and dishes...spend a little extra time once to save time overall by preparing meals ahead. Pots dirty once, lunches prepacked and... ready for this one? You've already made healthier choices for the week, no more running out to buy something quick and greasy because you didn't have time to make lunch. Sounds like  a win, win, win to me.

Clutter....another clog to the household to-do list, always something where it doesn't belong, in the way of something else and before you know it...sloped corners in all the rooms and slanted horizontal surfaces everywhere you look. Overwhelming and stress inducing! Create a system....again a  little time investment initially but saves in the long run. Junk mail...recycle immediately! Do not start a pile, anywhere at anytime...they multiply! Stuff....everywhere...try this:everytime you make a pass across the room, take something with you, return it to it's proper place, the little bits along the way make for fewer overwhelming tasks eating up your weekends!

My lesson here.....KEEP UP, STOP WASTING TIME TRYING TO CATCH UP! Allowing things to get out of control lands you with overwhelming tasks that lead to stress and avoidance and tasks that are even more overwhelming. Same is true for starting tomorrow on your plans to be eat healthier and start exercising, the longer you wait, the more overwhelming it can be, slowly the pounds continue to creep up, the poor diet just feeds upon itself. Stop the cycle now! Dig in your heels, get started, make the time to get organized and get healthy and in the long run in more than one way you will have given yourself the gift of time!

We all have the same 24 hours to work with, this difference lies in how you use it!

Are you the trailblazer or are you happy trailing?

We all have our roles in life and they may vary from time to time. For the most part though we tend be leaders or followers. It is becoming more and more clear that I am the trailblazer in the small circle in which I currently travel. Flattering that others find my trail worthy of following, yes, but I have to admit that somedays even I would  enjoy someone taking over with reading the trail map so I can enjoy the scenery.

I blaze my own trail as I have so much passion for some of the things I have I in the works right now, I continue to train hard at the gym, reading tons and continually seeking new knowledge to enable me to strengthen my results in continuing to transform my physique. This physical transformation has definately transformed my life as well as this is what has lead me to becoming a trailblazer again. The journey of physical transformation is so much more than that....as you tranform your body you realize how strong you really are, and it has nothingto do with how much weight you can push, pull or lift. Completely transforming yourrself is empowering, giving you a boost to start blazing new trails.
These new trails are sometimes scary and intimidating yet exhilarating at the same time. Some areas of the trail can provide a challenge I, momentarily, feel I am not ready for...but I continue on. When I need a boost I look next to me and behind me and find inspiration in those that follow in my path, working to better themselves and blaze their own trails in their own worlds.
So, are you a trailblazer or are you content following the lead of others? As a trailblazer be sure to stay close to those that are following your lead. Both the trailblazers and the "followers" only benefit. I encourage the "followers" to grab the compass sometime and blaze a trail of their own, draw your own map! I assure you it will be an adventure! So, are you going to blaze your own trail? What is your next adventure and who are you sharing it with?

The difference between then and now

Needed to talk myself into sharing the before pictures with the blogosphere but after finding them in a old computer file and seeing where I am now I found the comparison spoke loudly of so many things I have learned and hope by sharing these I can motivate someone and give them push in a positive direction.

These pictures were taken approximately 4 months apart. These photos speak mountains about several key points I have learned in my own transformation and I post them in hopes of inspiring you to commit to make positive changes each day and see where you can be in 4 months. Take photos or otherwise document where you are today and  look back and congratulate yourself for sticking with it, proud of what you accomplished and find yourself in a better and healthier place. Then set new goals an keep the momentum going!

I have learned a tremendous amount nutrition, training and more importantly myself  throughout this journey, thought I would share a few useful and hopefully inspiring tidbits.

The Comfort Zone

My best advice....reach outside of your comfort zone. Go to the big boys area of the gym. Push yourself physically and mentally. Try new foods, I found my desire for continued physique improvements overrode my stubbornness regarding eating/trying certain foods and now some of those same foods are staples in my diet.  As far as training goes, I am lifting heavier than I have ever lifted and continue to get stronger. I have set life goals that include paths I would never have imagined myself traveling and am invigorated as I work towards achieving theses goals! Consider this, you don't know how strong you are until you push beyond what you are already capable of, both in the gym and in how you tackle life!

Body composition

Amazingly the scale/body weight difference between these photos is only about 5 pounds! I look at the before photos and see what I once thought was fit and find that I appear 'chubby.' The hard work in the gym has added lean tissue to my frame as I burned off the fat. So much more pleased with my fit figure now but can see looking back in another year with a more critical eye as I continue to move forward with new goals for my transformation.  Amazing how prospective changes as you continue to make improvements, feeding off your own accomplishments for another boost of motivation.

Commitment and hard work
What you see is nothing more than pure hard work and dedication to a goal. There were no crash diets or magic pills...no fancy, "guaranteed" results exercise DVD or ab belt but commitment to a weight training program and a carefully designed nutrition plan including whole foods, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, egg whites, oatmeal and chicken/turkey breast. The key is sticking to the plan and making it a new lifestyle, a healthier lifestyle. This applies in all areas of life, not just training and nutrition. Commitment is hard, change is hard but the rewards...

The power of setting goals, creating a plan and staying accountable
How often have you said you were going to do something and maybe even started doing it and then looked back in 6 months and found yourself no closer to completing your goal, having fallen off the wagon....You have to want it and your have to set specific goals and create a plan to get yourself headed in the right direction. THEN....frequent check-ins to be sure you continue to move forward, hold yourself accountable! Stop starting tomorrow, use tomorrow to reassess today and determine how to further improve yourself and  make continued progress.
 I continue to keep longer term life goals in the forefront of my mind, keeps me focused and I make better decisions every day that get me closer to those goals. Continually setting and achieving shorter term goals along the way will keep you inspired and insure continued forward progress.


Mental Muscle and gaining confidence
So much of the struggle, bottom line, is mental. We all can list a million excuses why we can't/don't do something. Change your attitude, your outlook and approach. My outlook has become to look at how I can do something, seeing obstacles as challenges, not allowing challenges to become excuses. Time, for example, is a huge factor in everyone's life. People are always amazed when they hear I am a Mom of 2, work full time and still manage to get to the gym 4-5 times a week. How do  I do it? Mental muscle, I make the time, change my priorities and attitude and make it happen. Are there sacrifices? In a way but I consider them a change in priority, all about perspective, I suppose.
In order to improve yourself you have to take a hard look at where you are and have the desire to make a change and move forward from where you are. You'll look back on the experience having gained greater confidence, not only a result of an improved physique but a sense of accomplishment and proving to yourself that you could do it.

I am thrilled with progress I have made so far yet find great pleasure in continuing to set higher and more challenging goals for myself. I continue to pursue challenges and set goals for myself that I never would have even considered a year ago. I see a whole different person in those photos, the latter more fit, more confident, more driven and stronger, physically and mentally.

Make yourself one promise, give it four months.....fully commit and give it all you've got...do something positive each day so when you look back to today you will find you have become a stronger person, physically and mentally, for yourself and for others. You'll be amazed.
Follow, subscribe and 'like' on Facebook, I'll provide information, motivation and inspiration, Post your goals...there's some accountability....So, what are you waiting for? What goals are you going to set? What goals have you already achieved? Challenge yourself to be a even better you! Challenge others by sharing this and spreading the word. I'm sure you'll find inspiring others very inspiring!

Food for thought, thought for food

Success in achieving my fitness goals lies in sticking with the nutrition plan, the regular workouts are ingrained in my schedule and I thoroughly enjoy them and give them my all! The nutrition however is a much bigger challenge for me. My tastes are limited and I am working hard to find ways to enjoy foods that I know will benefit me in my quest. An even bigger challenge, and I am certainly not alone in this one...emotional and mindless eating! How frustrating it can be to stick with the nutrition plan and then be plagued my a mindless eating binge....Conquering this challenge requires establishing a new relationship with food and finding a new means of dealing with stress, boredom or whatever else may be your trigger to reach into the cabinet ...how about doing 20 push ups the next time you reach for an unplanned snack?
Next time you reach for something to eat, think about why you are eating....are you hungry, bored, stressed? Then think again....will eating it  help me reach my goals or make me more stressed because I am one more day away from living the healthier lifestyle I am striving to achieve?
How do you decide what it is you want to eat? Do you choose food because you body needs the fuel and the building blocks or you have you choosen foods that taste good or make you feel good ...at least for the moment. If you choose a food because you enjoy its flavor do you eat it slowly enough and with enough awareness to actually enjoy its flavor or do you toss a handful in your mouth and simply add to your caloric surplus for the day? What about the foods that make you feel good? Does that feeling last longer than the time that flavor is in your mouth only to feel worse later? Ask 2 questions: is it worth it now and will I still think it was worth it later.
So much about changing your eating patterns is mental and emotional, true success in sticking with a healthy eating plan starts with a change in attitude and a better relationship with food. I'm not saying not to enjoy your food but at least take a moment and consider what you eat, and why, before you eat it....Take the time to enjoy the flavors in the foods that you choose and learn to enjoy some healthier choices (hey, if I can learn to enjoy oatmeal and egg whites...). And most importantly find a healthier outlet for stress, make life exciting to avoid eating out of boredom and always keep your eating mindful.
----------
Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone

Body Weight Training for Moms

Everywhere you look these days, bodyweight training! I've got a new twist on the program!

As Moms (and Dads) we always have some extra body weight laying around...check near the fridge when the doors are open, on the couch Saturday mornings or follow the mud tracks from the front door in the spring....
The benefits of using these "dumbbells" are plenty...

• you already are paying for them (LONG term installment plan)
• they provide progressive resistance (as long as you keep feeding them)
• they incorporate dynamic stabilization into every exercise
• they provide live entertainment throughout the workout

 

Bench Press



Push ups









Crunches and Smiles



 

Squats

   Go chase down your dumbbells and enjoy a body weight workout!    















Reality Check (-In)

Time to be honest...we are well past the New Year's Resolution make it or break point. Probably approaching time for the need for "tank top arms" and the ever popular drive to "bikini season." I personally stick with a less seasonal approach to being fit and healthy! Where do you stand? Do remember the goals you set for yourself?  How are you progressing towards your goals? Are you any closer to meeting them or have you achieved them and it's time to set new goals?

Take assessment of your plan and your progress: (time to be honest with yourself)

Goals:

• Did you set S.M.A.R.T. goals?
• Do you remember your goals/did you write them down to make yourself accountable?
• Which of your goals have you achieved? Have you set new goals?
• And most importantly~how badly do you want to reach these goals and have you put in your best effort to move towards achieving them?

Nutrition:

• Did you keep a food journal to keep yourself accountable? Are you making healthier food choices?
• Have you reassessed portion sizes? Are you suffering from a bit of 'portion distortion?'
• How are your energy levels?
• Have you gained/maintained control over stress/emotional eating? Hard to do but face it using food to deal with stress only adds to the stress by contributing to you not meeting your health goals.

Workouts/exercise/activity level:

• Do you have a gym membership/home gym or exercise area?
• Do you actually go to the gym?  :)
• Do you push yourself during your workout? They should be hard and make you feel like you did something. (you need to walk faster on the Treadmill than you walked getting over to it, and yes, the weight should feel heavy when you lift it!)
• Is it time to set up a new program for the gym to shock those muscles and break through a plateau?

OK, full disclosure, I am writing this post because I felt I needed to take inventory....kinda felt like I was losing focus and allowing little leaks and falling into old habits. I am human, faced by the same challenges and temptations as everyone else. But I have worked too hard to make the improvements I have so far and will not let myself fall off track!

So, how did you do?
Are your headed in the right direction?
How bad do you really want it? Are you willing to buckle down, deal with the rough spots and give things a little more attention?
Did you figure out a few items you can work on to further your success in getting closer to your goals? Tackle the issues with a little renewed motivation! Consider a less seasonal approach to healthy and fit and make the lifestyle change.

Have you reached your goals? Congratulations! Celebrate a little with a happy dance, set some new goals and keep on going!

Campaign to save the skinny fat...

Quotes heard in an Upstate NY gym: "I forced myself to do an hour and a half of cardio yesterday." "I'm dragging on this 1200 calorie diet." Please let me help you! These methods will only frustrate you, make you cranky and result in you being skinny fat...if you can stick with it long enough....regardless, a recipe for disaster. True if you can keep moving on 1200 calories and do more cardio the scale may drop but at what cost? Most likely loss of lean body mass (muscle), this is exactly what you want to preserve when trying to lose weight. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, burning calories even while you are at rest. Why would you want to sacrifice this just to see a lower number on the scale? Also consider how much more aesthetically pleasing sculpted muscles are after losing the insulating layers of fat disguising them....can't firm up fat. By adding resistance training to you program you firm and sculpt more of the very tissue that will raise your metabolism to only further contribute to your weight (fat) loss success.
So, let's try another approach...lets try to focus on eating more nutrient dense foods and eat them more often to keep the metabolism humming and provide your body with the building blocks for muscle growth as you begin a resistance training program. Sounds like a win-win situation to me....a more interesting workout program including options from an endless list of possible strength training exercises, eating more all while building figure sculpting muscles and moving towards a healthier,  leaner and more efficient fat burning machine!
----------
Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone

Breaking plateaus

Oh, the dreaded plateau....they can be mental or physical plateaus and if you ask me it's difficult to say which are more frustrating, but if you can break through one generally a breakthrough in the other follows.
The physical plateaus in some ways are easier to tackle as the mental ones come will a lot of baggage that can be difficult to shake loose. But I find in tackling the physical plateau I also benefit from improved stress relief, maybe its from lifting heavy things at the gym (grunt) or a good sweaty cardio session but I also find myself feeling better about things in general after spending some time reassessing and reorganizing a workout and nutrition plan.

Let me help out with a few ideas to help you mix up your training program to get you started:

1. New exercise: Pick a new exercise for each body part, add a new one or swap out an old one
2. Vary your equipment/resistance : options include dumbbells, barbells, bodyweight, resistance bands, kettlebells, medicine balls, machines... no excuse to get bored here with so many options
3. Change the order of the exercises : simple enough and self explanatory, hit a different focus area at the beginning of the workout each week so you aren't performing the same exercises when fatigued every workout
4. Change your splits : try a new workout plan, upper/lower splits, push/pull splits or full body workouts.
5. Mix up your reps/sets: Try a new scheme, pyramids (ascending weight/descending reps then reverse) or drop sets (descending weights), supersets, heavy weight/low reps, lighter (not too light :) ) weights/high reps....
6. Change your tempo : Try slowing down your reps to increase the amount of time the muscle is under tension. New challenge!
7. Change the scenery : home or gym (trial free pass at a new gym, tag along with a friend on a guest pass) ...(I personally am looking forward to spring to take the workouts outside!)
8. Change the company : grab a a friend/training partner (new recruit :) to the fit lifestyle?) or go with your iPod!

The key is to change your parameters somehow to stimulate further muscle (and mental) growth. As you can see....really no excuse (except for laziness :) ) to allow a program to rest on a plateau. Spend a few minutes to mix up the plan, try any or all of the above suggestions and let me know how you do....I for one always feel more motivated after switching up the program.


Treat yourself to a new toy for a little motivation :)
GoFit 10-Pound Yellow Kettlebell with Vinyl Coating, Iron Core Training DVD and Exercise Booklet
GoFit GF-MB8 8lb Medicine Ball with DVD Training Session by Mark Verstegen
Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells
FitDeck Bodyweight
TRX Suspension Training Pro Pack

The Ultimate Motivator

Let's face it we all need a boost in motivation to push ahead sometimes and stick with the plan. The ultimate in motivation is progress! Look back to yesterday, last week....did you make better food choices? Did you stick with your workout plan? Give yourself a pat on the back, set goals for today and attack your plan with a renewed motivation to achieve those goals.
Progress can be measured in so many ways....do you find you need to tighten your belt another notch? Better yet are you in need of a shopping trip for a smaller size? And don't forget progress regarding your attitude, have you have a more positive spin on the obstacles that have gotten in your way? Do you have a healthier relationship with food? Do you still see exercise and healthy eating as another chore on your to-do list or have these become part of your identity? Living a healthy lifestyle needs to be part of you, not something you do.

While the changes in attitude are harder to objectify, let's take a look at some objective means of seeing physical progress towards your goal of living  a healthy lifestyle. A valuable tool is using your eyes...looking in the mirror each day or even better take pictures. The day to day changes are hard to see but compared side by side with a photo from last month? What an incredible boost of motivation for continued compliance with the plan. I never really realized the benefit of taking photos (seemed silly as you are also probably thinking right now) but I am a firm believer of their benefit after surprising myself with the progress I made over the Challenge when comparing my before and after photos. These changes the result after only 49 days!

Be wary of watching the scale to judge your progress. You may find it very frustrating to base progress solely on scale weight loss, particularly if you have included a weight training component to your program  and you should as strength training  is important in achieving a healthy lifestyle. Scale weight may not change very quickly, particularly if you are new to resistance training as you are adding lean muscle mass to your frame, this can  increase scale weight! This can lead to frustration, seemingly not seeing progress because the scale is not going down. Enter body composition analysis, sounds expensive and complicated, it can be, but it doesnt' have to be. Inexpensive body fat calipers can be purchased online, allowing self testing at home. Their accuracy may not be astounding but certainly sufficient to monitor progress when used consistently. During the Challenge my scale weight decreases plateaued but body fat testing revealed consistent progress! And the proof is in the pictures!
So, where do you stand? Are you making progress? With a critical eye, take a honest look at yourself, how far you have come, are you moving closer to achieving your goals?  Make new goals and adjust your plan! Look back and find motivation in your progress!

Try these home assessment tools:

Slim Guide Skinfold Caliper

Accu-Measure Fitness 3000 Personal Body Fat Tester

 

Are YOU ready for Success?

You keep telling yourself you want to lose fat and get fit, live a healthy lifestyle!  Here's the secret* YOU have to WANT it BAD! You have to live it! Doesn't matter who tells you you have to do it or even if someone spells out how to do it...YOU have to WANT to do it.

The fat loss journey is a difficult one, we are surrounded by food in our daily lives, we have to learn to have a healthy relationship with food. To be successful in fat loss food needs to be considered fuel, not comfort or something that we turn to (unconsciously) when stress or boredom present themselves. We need to be aware at all times of what we put in our mouths, this requires at least a period of time (that may be eye opening and painful) where portions must be painstakingly measures and written down (as soon at it goes in the mouth, amazing what amnesia we develop about what we ate even a few hours later). Journaling is a fantastic tool to learn the truth about what we are consuming, not only the physical amount/quality of what we are eating but you will learn a tremendous amount about WHY you are eating when you have be accountable at the end of the day. You will then have to admit to yourself that it is in fact only you that can make your fat loss journey a success. NO ONE else decides what you eat. Is it hard? Absolutely! Is it worth it? Absolutely! Your mental and physical health depend on it!

Proud to say I have lead a relatively healthy lifestyle...for the past 3 years I have been training with weights regularly (yes, even found gyms while on vacation!) I drastically changed my diet for the better including swapping out for whole grains and lower fat foods, portioning, and always packing snacks so as to always be prepared with healthy options.  Admittedly, I have still learned a lot with joining this 49 day Transformation Challenge! Didn't really realize how, slowly, I had let little things lapse...portion distortion, a treat here and there. Joining the Challenge kicked my butt into gear, journaling food, changing food combinations etc and broke through a weight loss plateau that has been in place for a LONG time! I overall feel much better with more energy and a more positive attitude about everything!

The fat loss journey is not necessarily about eating less but about eating better! The first step is to take an honest look at the fuel you are feeding your system. Be honest and then decide that you are ready to be successful, no more excuses, no more starting tomorrow! Don't waste time getting prepared to start, just start and promise yourself to make each day healthier than the day before.  So, tell me...are YOU ready?

Some helpful tools:
The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building Lean Muscles, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight
BodyMinder Workout and Exercise Journal (A Fitness Diary)
Taylor Biggest Loser 6-1/2 Pound Kitchen Scale with Glass Platform

Baby, it's cold outside

Find the delights winter has to offer!

Getting hard to get out of a warm bed on these cold winter mornings! Then the thought of going outside to head to the gym....but here I am at the gym! What keeps me going? I've worked to hard to get where I am to have to start all over again in the spring if I allow myself to hibernate for the winter! I will never fight to GET in shape again...I will STAY in shape!
Think about this...many people are 'surprised' when they take out their spring wardrobe to find things fitting a little tighter and are not at all excited about getting out of their warm, and very forgiving, winter clothes. Consider this, more appealing surprise..to find spring clothes a delight with a little extra room and a new leaner figure to show off as the summer months approach. Stop the seasonal desire to be fit and stay fit year round! Now get up and get out, don't allow the cold mornings to derail your plan, make it a mission to have start the New Year with healthier habits already in place and not dread peeling off the camouflaging layers when long awaited spring arrives!

Setting goals (and acheiving them)!

Photo by marcus-jb1973

Setting goals is so important in the quest to make changes in any aspect of your life. Without goals we lose direction and often take the attitude of "doing it tomorrow." Goals also keep us honest...did you achieve a goal or not? Goals should be something you can measure and be sure to make yourself accountable to the goals you set- write them down, tell others and set a date to attain them by. Health and fitness goals may include a variety of measurable, objective components: body composition/body fat percentage, weight (not your best option if just starting with a resistance program as the scale my not change as quickly), inches lost, adherence to workout program (days per week), minutes of cardio, sets/reps/weights increase and the ever popular (and a good one!)"how your clothes fit." Pick something that works for you and set goals both short and long term!

I personally reached a goal this week with regards to body composition, I admit, enjoyed a grin to myself and then...set the next goal to lose another 2% bodyfat. Reaching a goal renews my motivation to adhere to my program. Enjoy the moment of attaining a goal and celebrate (not with a Big Mac and a large fry!) but then it is not the time to sit back and consider it done but then time to set another goal and keep the momentum going. Look back where you came from (keep a journal/photos of your progress) and congratulate yourself on all the positive changes, hard work and sacrifices you made to get here and remind yourself why you are doing it! Look forward to where you want to be, set new goals and stay on track! Place small reminders of your goals in visible places to help keep you on track all day.

Start right now set a goal and make yourself accountable, write it down, make it real and get after it!

I'll get you started....I shared my goal, post your health and fitness goals here now! Share you goals and surround yourself with like minded people and you'll be surprised by the boost of motivation and little daily reminders to stay on track.

Kicked my own butt

Ok, have to admit I was less than enthusiastic about getting out of bed before 5 am but as I always tell myself the only workout I ever regret is the one I skipped. So I headed out....

Today's workout:

Split squats
Sumo squats
Deadlifts
Hip Thrust
And a variety of abs exercise during 'rest' times...
And finish it off with a kick butt cardio session.

Result....energized and feeling good!

New You Resolution

Let's try something different....instead of deciding to set another New Year's Resolution this year get started today and we'll call it a New You Resolution. Think about it...and be honest... how many years have you set a resolution and actually stuck with it? New Year's resolutions are a recipe for disaster in a lot of cases. We spend months before building up to the big day, usually spending more time living it up in anticipation of the fear of losing the freedom to eat what we want and dreading starting at the gym....that adds up to even more holiday pounds and harder habits to break.  Then...the big day arrives and wow have you got a lot to face! And since it only comes once a year if you mess up that deal with yourself it is a big drop off the side of that wagon!
Let's mix it up and start now, don't wait for New Year's, with a plan to make little resolutions each day to get headed to achieving that new you. See desserts at holiday gatherings as your cheat meal for the week not an excuse for complete overindulgence for the next 2 months, deal with a food hangover and then you try to go cold turkey on January 1st.
Join a gym now instead of trying to get started with the rush of other  newbies that have set a New Year's resolution. Just watch the gym, for the 1st 3 weeks of the year it will be packed, after that all that remain are the regulars that were there on December 31st because they made a resolution to change a lifestyle. I'll be there, how about you?
 The bottom line....start now making healthy changes you can LIVE with (not stick with for a few weeks) because you desire a healthier life! Who's with me? Let's get started now!

When life gets in the way



Photo by Flying House Studios

 Events of recent weeks have presented challenges resulting in missed workouts and giving in to a few comfort foods. Discouraged and frustrated at first but then changed my outlook and decided to look at missed workouts as scheduled rest and recovery (though not scheduled purposefully). Simple change in thought allowed me to stay in a fit and healthy mindset despite the challenges in maintaining my usual activity levels. When I managed to get back for a workout I enjoyed a little of the 'good sore' the next day. The key was to keep the mindset and get back into routine as quickly as life allowed....becomes easy to give up/fall of the wagon but just remember how hard you worked to get started and make the positive changes to live a healthy lifesytyle don't let a little speed bump in life derail your plan. Get back at it!

Excuses, excuses....

Everybody who isn't living the healthy lifestyle and getting to the gym is pretty good at presenting excuses. Very few are valid in my opinion, it becomes more an issue of priority and commitment. If you want it you will find a way to do it. Please do not see these words as judgement but rather motivation to look critically at your reasons for not reaching your goals of living a healthy lifestyle. Do your excuses fit in here?

• Don't have time: I just don't accept that one from anybody...I work 50+ hours per week, have a husband and 2 young boys at home and still find time to get to the gym 4 days per week and work out at home another 2! Key issue I make it priority and make the time. Be honest...how many hours do you waste watching TV every day? I only watch when doing cardio! Turn of the TV an hour earlier, get up early and watch the DVR while you start your day with a good sweat session...before long you will start to enjoy it. Plan ahead and organize your day to avoid wasting time trying to figure out what you should do next.
• Then there is the money issue...ok...I acknowledge everyone's concern about the cost of a gym membership but lets take a look at the Starbucks coffee on the way to work or the eating on the run...(again plan ahead...make coffee at home and pack a lunch) add that up over the month and I guarantee you have a gym membership paid for (and most likely a decent caloric deficit). Or put that money into a fund to grow a home gym to include a few dumbbells, bench, stability ball, etc. this then assists with the time problem as well as a home gym is open 24 hours and no wasted time driving to the gym!
• Chronic pain....first let me say check with doc to be sure you will do no further harm! In the case of chronic pain you must make the decision to not let it rule your life and choose to continue living. Added body weight and being deconditioned will certainly not help the issue. Try moving more and start a program within your tolerance, you may be surprised with a reduction of pain! Consider this, make positive changes to take control of health where you can even if you can't change the pain, tip the balance in your favor for a healthy life style and reduce your chances of adding other health related problems to the list.
• Don't know what to do: certainly heading to the gym can be intimidating but there are a million resources easily accessible to get you started or spend a few dollars that you save by skipping Starbucks and set up a few appointments with a personal trainer. Pick up a book or check the Internet...tons of videos (be careful of the source). Find a friend interested in getting started with an exercise program.
• Now be honest about this one....you "don't want to." If you really take a look at things is this not the real reason for you not starting or staying on an exercise program? If that is your choice then accept it but don't complain about pants not fitting right, the scale not moving or being out of breath trying to keep up with the kids. Don't be angry with skinny people as they have worked hard to stay healthy. Staying fit is hard work! My advice- make the decision to get into shape once and then stay that way!

Now have an honest discussion with yourself...what are your health and fitness goals? Are you really prioritizing your life challenges to make the best you you can be? Life happens but consider this...you have the power to make the decision to live it the healthiest way possible and give your body the best defenses to what comes your way and not add health issues related to being overweight or unhealthy eating to your life challenges. Decide today to make the commitment to make one healthier choice each day.
----------
Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone

Inspiration and Motivation

Decided I needed a little change of pace so I hit the road for a day trip to attend  the East Coast Natural Body Building, Figure and Bikini Championships. I had never been to this type of event before and I must say it was a great experience. Inspiring to see the beauty of the human form that can be achieved, but only with high levels of commitment and dedication that was required by each and every competitor to get to that stage. So many different physiques, some more impressive than others but I am sure each had their own story and motivations that set them out to achieve the goal of competing on stage.
The energy in the room was incredibly positive with the small audience of fans supporting all competitors as they walked across the stage to showcase their dedication and commitment to hard work. Some of the competitors gave me more positive affirmation that I was headed in the right direction and that maybe my goals are achievable, other competitors further inspired me to reassess my commitment to fitness and find the leaks that are contributing to my current  physical (and mental) plateau. I have renewed my passion for learning more and committing to making more forward progress towards my health and fitness goals. Thanks to all that were part of the show!

The Importance of Strength Training

To all you cardio addicts out there...lets take a look at strength training...All too often I hear comments in the "judgement free zone" that are hard to ignore regarding cardio, most recently overheard someone telling her training partner that she "forced" herself to do an hour and a half of cardio on her off day....my question... why? If you are pushing hard enough for the benefit of the workout how can you continue at that pace for more than an hour? If you have the time to do that on your "off" day why don't you reassess your program and add in some more strength training to sculpt the muscle you are trying so hard to reveal by burning calories?  On another occasion a client shared that she was told by "her trainer" to only do cardio if she had limited time (her limited time was 2 hours/day 2-3 times per week!), certainly can think of a few beneficial activities to fill that time with instead of another hour of spinning. Her frustration..after a month she saw no results! No scale weight or visible change, at least if she added some weight training she would see some change in shape if the scale weight didn't drop.  (Of course, I think diet probably was partially to blame as well.)
Too often people looking to lose weight and slim down immediately look to lots of cardio to get more caloric burn. Is it because the cardio machines flash numbers at us telling us how many as we race to burn calories? Truth is we may burn more at the time but cardio certainly doesn't effect our resting metabolic rate (RMR) like strength training can. Or consider doing weight training circuits for some benefits from both.  True, cardio may burn more calories during the workout but strength training builds more metabolically active tissue to increase your calorie burn after the workout and increase your overall metabolic rate!
The benefits from strength training are many. There is no other way to sculpt a beautiful body without resistance training.  Lots of cardio and a caloric deficit will only reveal a skinnier version of yourself and generally at the cost of also losing muscle.  "Skinny fat," love that term!  Skinnier is certainly a good thing but the real beauty comes from firming and sculpting the muscles that were hiding beneath the insulation.  And ladies...don't worry about bulking up, without hormonal assistance you will not get huge!
Through weight training you will build more lean muscle tissue thus raising your resting metabolic rate with resulting increased caloric burn at rest! Increasing your lean body mass (LBM) improves your body fat percentage/body composition and THIS should be the goal of healthy lifestyle makeovers!
Need to lose the scale and focus on fat loss, not weight loss. Initially scale weight may not decrease and may actually increase as you add resistance training to your program. Fear not, just adopt a different method of tracking your progress, consider an honest look in the mirror, a tape measure or skin fold calipers. And of course consider the fact that your clothes will start to fit differently.


Strength training provides so many benefits to both physical and mental health:

• improved strength and function, stronger bones
• improved body composition (increased LBM/decreased body fat %)
• improved physique
• increased resting metabolic rate (increased calorie burn at rest!)
• stress relief

So venture out of your comfort zone, look the muscle heads in the eye, pick up a dumbbell and start sculpting a better/healthier body!