Tips For Keeping Your New Year Resolutions

If you are like most Americans, you too have made some kind of New Year’s Resolution at some time in your life-and then broken it. This is the year to stop that vicious cycle of resolving to make change, and then not following through. Follow these tips for keeping your  New Year Resolutions, have a better year, and getting healthy in the process.

1. First Things First-Emphasize WILL Instead of WANT

How you think of a goal and approach it is critical to achieving it. Your mindset has to be that you WILL accomplish what you set out to do. Determination is imperative! A goal is not something you merely WANT or desire, instead it is something you WILL accomplish.

2. Be realistic-Make your Goal Attainable.

The surest way to fall short of your goal and prevent yourself from seeing success is to set an unattainable goal. For instance, resolving to never eat your favorite food or favorite dessert again is setting your-self up to fail.

3. Be Specific

Saying you want to be thin or fit is vague. It is a sure way to sabotage your-self. No one can really tell you what being “thin” of “fit” really means. These are unknown quantities that change depending on what your perception of these things may be. Instead, focus on objective targets, for instance numbers in weight or inches.

4. Outline your Plan-Put it On Paper

Temptation is inevitable. Decide how you will deal with it when it arises. What will you do when you feel that urge to indulge in that piece of chocolate cake or skip that dreaded workout? This could include contacting a personal trainer to keep you on track and provide that support we all need.

5. Talk About It-Don’t Keep It A Secret

Choose your support system and share your goals with family and friends that will encourage you and provide assistance to keep you on track. The best case-scenario is to find a buddy who shares your New Year’s Resolution and bring them to the gym with you. Together you will resolve to make changes that will lead to a happy healthier lifestyle.

6. Track Your Progress

Keep track with each small success. Short-term goals that are realistic are easier to keep and with that being said each small accomplishment will keep you motivated. Keep a food and exercise journal to keep you on track and reward yourself for each success and progression made. Not with food of course!!!

To get more tips for keeping your New Year Resolutions, staying in shape, or if you’ve been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, contact us.

Common Weight Loss Misconceptions

It’s not surprising that with all the conflicting information out there from the internet, television shows, and friends and family that many people have misconceptions about losing weight. It can be very frustrating if you’ve been struggling to shed a few pounds and your plan isn’t yielding any results.  Here are some common weight loss misconceptions that I hear on a consistent basis from my personal training clients.

1. If I skip this meal, I’m consuming fewer calories, which will lead to losing a few extra pounds.

When you take your caloric intake down too low, you are actually sending your body into “starvation mode.” Excessively low-calorie diets affect your metabolism. When you eat far less than your body needs, your metabolism slows down to adjust for the lower supply of energy. When your metabolism slows down, your rate of weight loss slows down, also.  I actually tell my personal training clients that missing a meal is as bad as cheating on their diet.  So stop missing meals with the belief that you’re doing yourself a favor because you’re actually slowing down your metabolism which will lead to weight gain!

2. I will gain weight if I eat too late.

Whether you’re eating in the morning or at midnight, your body turns any extra calories into fat over the course of time. In fact, eating a light snack high in protein will actually prevent your body from entering a catabolic state while sleeping. All things considered, it doesn’t matter how late you eat, it’s what you eat that matters.  Foods that are higher in protein have less chance of  being converted to fat late at night.  So if you get that late night craving, reach for a low-fat string cheese or some egg whites as opposed to that bowl of cereal.

3. Fat Is Bad!!

A well-balanced meal plan includes healthy amounts of fat and complex carbohydrates depending on individual needs and goals. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found predominantly in fish and shellfish, and monounsaturated fat like that in olive oil are essential to the body and will assist in your weight loss process. These healthy fats help the body absorb important nutrients and to feel fuller longer.

4. Carbs are the Enemy!

A successful meal plan includes a variety of foods. No one particular food group must be avoided to achieve your weight loss goals as long as you keep your caloric intake in check. While it’s smart to avoid refined carbohydrates as often as possible, foods like bread, rice, pasta, cereal, and fruit, can all be part of a healthful, balanced diet. Choose complex carbs, such as whole grains and beans, over-processed foods such as white bread whenever possible.

So you think you know your stuff when it comes to losing weight? These pesky myths seem to get the best of many of us. Let’s set the record straight before they sabotage your weight-loss success. For more information on weight loss misconceptions, getting in shape, eating healthy, weight training, health and wellness, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and have been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, contact us.

How to Avoid Those Extra Holiday Pounds

The Holiday Season, that special time of year when extra calories lurk around every corner. Office parties, family gatherings, frosted cookies, chocolate in your stockings, eggnog or your other caloric beverage of choice. All these extras add up and before you know it, you’ll be tipping the scale a few pounds heavier by New Year’s Day. However, you don’t have to fall into this trap. It is possible to partake in the festivities while enjoying all the goodies without putting on a single pound. Follow these steps to make sure you don’t begin the New Year trying to make amends for the holidays.

• Portion Control-Never arrives at a social gathering hungry! Follow your meal plan, avoid skipping meals and have a nutritious snack beforehand. If you do arrive hungry, remember to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water will prevent you from filling your plate and consuming excess calories.
• Pace Yourself-Eating slowly allows your digestive system to work and break down food. Putting your fork down between bites and really taking your time to enjoy your food puts you in control. Listen to your body it will let you know when you have had enough. Remember there’s more to a holiday party than just the food. Enjoy your friends, family, and company.
• Limit Alcohol-Avoid drinking your calories.  If you feel the need to drink, sip on water or diet drinks with zero calories. If this still isn’t enough, stick to lower alcohol drinks (e.g. white wines, lighter beers) and completely avoid cocktails, which are often as sweet as soda.
• Be Choosy When It Comes To Sweets-Be very selective when it comes to dessert. Limit your indulgences to smaller portions and only when it is very sensual to you. Check out your options before serving.
• Plan Ahead-Now that you’ve chosen what is worth splurging on, you have also decided what isn’t. Make your number one priority eating vegetables. Fill up on as many as you can, so at least the evening isn’t a net loss health-wise. Second priority, choose lean proteins and enough of it so you feel satisfied enough to avoid the uninspiring desserts that will inevitably appear later.

As you build your holiday hacking skills you are certain to experience many successes and many setbacks. Just keep your goals in mind and with determination you are to achieve and experience that satisfaction! For more tips on preventing holiday weight gain, getting in shape, eating healthy, weight training, health and wellness, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and have been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, contact us.

Five Tips To Control Your Cravings

Who hasn’t fallen victim to a delicious bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream or that glazed donut that you gulped down in two bites while trying to follow your diet religiously?  We know that an occasional cheat meal will not sabotage your week of healthy eating, however, sometimes that one bite can lead to a complete week if binge eating. With these six tips and some practice, you will have no fear of driving right past the ice cream shop without wanting to make a pit stop!

• Don’t assume all carbs are bad. Keeping complex carbohydrates in your diet will keep you full longer while providing you with the energy you need to get through that next workout. No need to cut out carbs all together. This can be bad for your health and cause a terrible rebound when you add them back into your meal plan. Grains, fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber are great forms of clean carbohydrates to replace sugars.
• Eat Clean: Keeping a clean diet and following a well-balanced meal plan is key when it comes to staying focused. Try refueling by adding in another healthy meal if you are having cravings or feeling depleted. Also, finding a new healthy way to make your favorite dish is a great way to accomplish a cheat meal and not get out of control with your diet or defeat your goals.
• Stay Hydrated: Drinking more water is the best way to keep full and keep cravings at bay. Most of us could add more water to our day than we currently drink. This will also help flush toxins you have previously put into your body and in turn keep those cravings at bay.
• Tea Time Anyone: Unsweetened teas and green teas are another solution that can aid in controlling cravings. Water isn’t the most flavorful beverage, so tea is a great way to add some flavor into your routine. Not to mention the caffeine may give you a little kick and boost your metabolism.
• Eat Healthy Fats To Fight Fat: These fats are crucial to a healthy balanced meal plan. If you are trying to diet without them, you may have more cravings. Your body needs healthy fats and will trigger cravings if you are not getting them. Fish, nuts, oils and avocados are a few great examples.

For more tips on curbing those cravings, getting in shape, eating healthy, weight training, health and wellness, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and have been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, contact us.

6 Foods that Fight Fat & Slim You Down

Are you looking to jumpstart your metabolism and get closer to reaching your weight loss goals? There are certain foods that can help you do just that. With one quick visit to the grocery store, you can be well prepared with everything you need to make positive changes and rev up your weight loss potential.

• Lean Meats: Protein has a high thermogenic effect: You burn about 30% of the calories the food contains during digestion (so a 300-calorie chicken breast requires about 90 calories to break it down).
• Whole-Grain High Fiber Cereal: Cereals such as shredded wheat is a good source of fiber not to mention low in sodium to discourage bloating that can be caused by a high intake of salt.
• Nuts: loaded with healthy fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as well as essential protein and fiber, nuts will help fill you up.  Almonds are a good source of riboflavin, copper and phosphorus. You will also get plenty of vitamin E and magnesium when you consume hazelnuts.
• Low-Fat Dairy Products: Skim milk is rich in calcium and vitamin D, these help preserve and build muscle mass—essential for maintaining a robust metabolism.
• Cruciferous Vegetables: Vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and cauliflower are very low in calories and water-packed. The amount of fiber they contain helps to keep you feeling full. Although all vegetables provide nutrients and beneficial substances, cruciferous vegetables should be a part of your well-balanced meal plan because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Consuming these vegetables at the start of a meal is a great way to fill up and leave less room for higher calorie items that you want to limit (including dessert).
• Raspberries: These bright red berries are versatile and loaded with nutrients. One cup is an excellent source of fiber, Vitamin C and manganese. Raspberries are also a good source of Vitamin K and selenium. Raspberries, like other fruits and vegetables, are high in antioxidants and water content, so eating them can help you stay hydrated.

For more information on fat fighting foods, weight training, healthy lifestyle, or if you’ve been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, contact us.

Four Hamstring Moves For Leaner Legs

As a personal trainer, I’m often asked which exercises work best to develop nice arms, shoulders, chest, back, or legs.  Well, there is so much conflicting information out there that I like to share what exercises I personally use and use on my clients to get them into such great shape.  Here are four exercises that will tighten those hamstrings and give you leaner legs overall.

1. Straight-Legged Deadlifts

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip. Without rounding your back, lower the weights toward the ground by hinging forward at the hips; keep a slight bend in your knees throughout the movement. Hold at the bottom to get a little stretch in your hamstrings then squeeze your glutes and stand up. This is one rep.

2.  Dumbbell Hamstring Curl

Lie face down on a flat bench and position yourself so that your knees are at the edge of the bench. Choose an appropriate dumbbell and set it on the ground near the lower end of the bench. Secure the dumbbell between the arches of your two feet. Your legs should be fully extended and you can wrap your arms around the bench for stability. This is the starting position.

Bending at the knees only, slowly curl the dumbbell up towards your buttocks. Raise the dumbbell as far as comfortably possible or just past 90 degrees. Pause for a moment and then lower the dumbbell in a controlled manner back to the starting position.

3. Bulgarian Split Squats

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms fully extended at your sides.

With your feet shoulder-width apart, place the instep of your rear foot on a bench. Your feet should be approximately three feet apart. Lower your hips toward the floor so that your rear knee comes close to the floor. Pause and drive through your front heel to return back to the starting position.

4. Alternating Dumbbell Lunges

Stand up straight holding two dumbbells in your hands by your sides.

Step forward with one leg, around two feet or so from the foot being left stationary behind, and lower your upper body down while keeping your torso upright and maintaining balance. Do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down, keeping your front shin perpendicular to the ground. Push up off your heel and return to the starting position. Repeat the movement for the opposing leg.

For more tips on building stronger hamstrings for leaner legs, eating healthy, weight training, health and wellness, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and have been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, contact us.

How Accurate Are Calorie Counters on Cardio Machines?

The other day one of my personal training clients was completely ecstatic about how many calories she had burned doing cardio. Before you proceed to believe that you really just torched 500 calories on your favorite cardio machine, chances are that number may be right for someone but not necessarily for you. There are many factors that must be considered when reading the number of calories burned on your cardio machine of choice.

An individuals’ caloric expenditure varies based on gender, weight, and fitness level. Most cardio machines allow you to enter only these first three variables. However, the number of calories an individual burns during a given workout also depends on ones fitness level. Your health, aerobic capacity, metabolism, and ratio of muscle vs. fat plays a big role in the actual number of calories burned. Therefore, calorie counters on fitness machines can be as much as 25 to 30 percent over or under your actual burn rate. The numbers returned are an estimated count of how much the average person of your same weight burns at your exercise intensity level.

A determining factor in how many calories an individual burns is based on your body composition. An individual with more lean muscle mass will have a higher metabolic rate than those with more body fat. Most calorie counters on exercise machines do not take this in to consideration when calculating results. Misconstrued data may also be a result of improper use of the cardio machines, improper form, and a reduced intensity level by holding or leaning on the handrails of the equipment.

Think these stats are insignificant as to be non-issues? Keep in mind that even the slightest error can make a big difference if you’re counting calories to lose weight. For instance, eating just an extra 50 calories a day, mistakenly thinking you’ve burned enough during your cardio session, could lead to a five-pound gain in a year.

For more tips on losing weight, burning body fat, eating healthy, weight training,  health and wellness, or if you’re frustrated with your current level of fitness and have been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, contact us.

3 Tips to Help You Burn Fat More Efficiently 

We all have problem areas where fat cells seem to congregate and unfortunately, thrive. The million dollar question is, how do you burn that fat off without burning up our valuable muscle tissue? Here are three specific things you can do to help your body burn fat more efficiently.

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Four Exercises To Tone and Tighten Your Triceps

One of the biggest problem areas for my female personal training clients is the back of their arms. Incorporating these four tricep exercises along with a strict diet will help shape your triceps and lead to leaner arms with more tricep definition.

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Four Tips To Boost Your Metabolism and Get In Shape For Summer

• Weight Train At Least Twice A Week

Lean body mass will increase your metabolism. Muscle volume is a determinant of metabolism that will burn fat and calories. Muscle burns more energy than body fat at rest, so if you develop more muscle and have a higher muscle to fat ratio, you burn extra energy and more stored fat as a result. The benefits of strength training even continue when you’re at rest. Your metabolism stays elevated for some time after you workout, even if you are inactive.

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