Motivation

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How To Do Burst Interval Training-Rapid Fat Loss without Boring Cardio

August 27, 2010 in Fitness, Fitness News, How-To, Motivation, Q and A, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized by Dave | 1 comment

Why interval training?

Because long, slow, old school cardio is NOT the best way to lose fat.
I make my case against it in The Dark Side of Cardio-and a Cure

Why should you kill your Cardio Routine?
Because Cardio is:

1.Boring (Like watching paint dry or grass grow.)

2.Time-Consuming (Who has 2 hours for a roundtrip to the Gym?)

3.Ineffective for Fat Loss (Ooops! everything would be forgiven if it actually, you know, worked and got results)

So let’s get into what does work.

Interval training works like a blow torch on fat.

Here’s how to do it.

First you need to be properly warmed up.

Then I explain the basics here-

Keys to success here:
1. No more than 2-3 sessions per week.

2. Intensity is key. Hit your level 7-9 during the work or hard phase. Then back it all-the-way-down to a 3 during the easy or recovery phase. Most common problem is people not going low enough during recovery phase.

3. Use the incline on the treadmill to add intensity but not more than 2%-3% grade. Or add speed, you’ll be surprised how fast you can go for short periods.

4. 6-10 cycles and stop. People always make the mistake of more is better. “If 8 cycles cut fat,16 cycles will cut twice as much!” No! You’ll get less results at best injured at worst.

3 Workouts to Get You Started: Put one into play today!

Workout#1 – 3/2 Power-Walking program-This is if you’re unfit, carrying extra weight, or the knees just aren’t going to hold up start with a 3 minute low/2 minute high routine. Don’t go over 20-30 minutes. Remember the level of intensity is key not time exercising. Hit your level 7 for 3 minutes then back it down to your level 3 for 3 minutes. 4 or 5 cycles and you’re done. You can increase the intensity with the incline to avoid jogging.

Workout#2 – The Intermediate 90-30 Walk/Run- A good program to jump into if you’ve been working out. 90second at a level 3 intensity and 30 seconds at your level 7-9. Don;t even think of the total time just count your 30 second intervals like a set. Do 6-10 sets and stop.
Quality over quantity.

Workout#3 – The Intermediate 30/30 Recover/Run- This is what Michelle is doing in the video. That sound you hear? That’s your heartbeat. Be properly warmed up and jog for about the first minute then crank the speed up to your level 7 for 30 seconds. Jump onto the rails. Complete recovery for 30 seconds, and this may start stretching to 45 seconds or a minute your first session. To get back onto the running treadmill use your arms to lower yourself down, when you get your leg speed up you can let go. Practice at lower speeds if you need to.

Forget the old days of Cardio. People thought the Earth was flat at one time too. No more dreading going to the gym to do hours of cardio with no results to show for it.

Get in-go hard-get out. Enjoy your new found results.

Dedicated to Your Success,
Dave

Draw Motivation From Anywhere

August 24, 2010 in Motivation by admin | No comments

family guyThis might sound really stupid, but last night’s episode of Family Guy convinced me to go ahead and get my workout in.

I know, right?  But I was sitting there watching the show, killing time before dinner. I don’t even remember what the episode was about, but Peter, the morbidly obese bafoon of a dad walked into the kitchen, bragging about how he went to the gym. Brian, the sophisticated talking dog, made an observation that he only went one time, for 15 minutes.

Peter replied, “yeah, but I’m 15 minutes stronger.”

I don’t know why, but it struck a cord with me, and I immediately hopped on the treadmill. I thought, “Dang it, he’s right. Every minute counts.”

It doesn’t only count towards fitness, either.  Every minute you workout gets you closer to your goals, but every extra calorie you consume gets you one calorie further away from your goal.  One the flip side, every calorie you slash (within reason) will get you closer.

Remember Peter’s words next time you want ‘just one’ cookie.

Where is the weirdest place you’ve gotten motivation?

Kelly Turner is a Seattle area ACE Certified Personal Trainer, health and fitness writer for DietsinReview.com. To contact Kelly with any questions, you can email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

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3 Simple Fat-Loss Tips for You

August 23, 2010 in Fitness, Fitness News, Health, Motivation, Nutrition, Q and A, Tips and Tricks by Dave | No comments

Copy of Michelle Gumm After 135lbs. 003

Michelle Gumm Dropped 16lbs. and 13ins. in 8 Weeks!

Many of you are going to start or restart your fat-loss and fitness programs  this week. It’s that time of the year. Summer is over, kids are back in school,  and the damage from all the summertime eating is showing up. Literally.

Fall is a great time to get into shape.

Unfortunately I see people making fat loss and getting into shape waaaaay….. too complicated.

You can simplify almost anything down to 3 basic things. Here are the 3  most powerful simple tips I could come up with. Get these 3  right and everything else tends to fall into place. Simple.


Tip #1 – Get your exercise in the morning

I get up and train at 4am. Yes it’s too early but it has to be then or it’s not going to get done.

When I’m asked what the best time to train is I always say….

“It doesn’t matter when you exercise as long as you do it, what matters is that you are consistent. And when you exercise first thing in the morning, that means you will be more consistent. And being consistent is one of the most important things in your fat loss program.”

I always tell people too,”The great thing about morning training is there’s no excuse. Your family won’t miss you. The office isn’t calling you. There’s nothing going on at 6am. You’ll have more energy throughout the day and you’ll tend to eat better”

So if you are struggling to be consistent, get up a little earlier and do your workout before life/work/family gets in the way and stops you from getting your workout.

Consistency is key. And morning exercise will help you become more consistent.

Tip #2 – Eat 3 medium sized meals and some very healthy snacks

Keep it simple. Real simple.

If you’re just starting out on your fat-loss nutrition program.If you have no idea where to start. Start by writing down times for your 3 meals. Set a schedule first. Sounds crazy, but if you’re all over the place and you have no idea when or what you’re going to eat, start with when.

A Medium sized meal-3 times a day. Some healthy snacks thrown in. If the snack comes from a bag or a box…um no.

I love to snack on apples, blueberries, carrots, celery , and bananas.  Almonds seem to be popular with my client right now.

This is the kind of diet you can stay on even when traveling.

Simple schedule. Simple foods. Keep it simple.

Tip #3 – Stay active on your off days with fun & playful activity

I’ve spent literally decades of my life in gyms, health clubs, and training studios. Literally inside working and training improving the methods and systems. Do the math 9-13 hours a day. 6-7 days a week for 23 years(71,990 hours!).  I’ve spent more time in these facilities  than anywhere else.

I DO-NOT recommend this. To anyone. Ever.

You need to train 3-4 times per week. Get in get out.

Use your extra time to play frisbee, golf, ride a bike,learn a new sport,go to the playground, hang out with your friends and family,just be active and live your life.

No long, slow, boring cardio either. Don’t do it for fat loss. It’s a waste of your precious time.

Use 8-10 min of Burst training at the end of your resistance days. Maybe 20-25 min on your no-resistance days.Maybe.

I’d rather sprint across the park(or parking lot) any day for fat-loss than read People Magazine on a treadmill or one of those silly elliptical machines.

So bottom line:

1) Do short, burst workouts CONSISTENTLY.

2) Eat 3 mid-size meals and lots of whole, natural food snacks in between meals.

3) Train 3-4 times per week and stay active on your off-days.

Get outside get active and life your best life.

It’s that simple.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Dave

Another Hollywood Weight Loss Success Secret

August 20, 2010 in Fitness News, Health, Motivation, Nutrition, Q and A, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized, success story by Dave | No comments

A 100 Pound Success Story

A 100 Pound Success Story

My blog post earlier this week was about Drew Carey’s 80 pound weight loss. I revealed his fatal flaw to lasting results. Nonetheless, he’s doing a lot right. Points to him because 80 pounds is nothing to discount.

But lately John Goodman has lost a reported 100 pounds! And he’s done it the RIGHT way.

Let’s talk about how he did it.

His Turning Point

“It’s been constant. It’s always been in the back of my mind. It just ate at me the whole time. That may be part of the reason I shoved food in my mouth so much. That satisfaction.”

When John got a role in Santa Clause he said enough was enough, but he finally wised up and didn’t  set the ever-futile New Year’s resolution. He hired a trainer and got on a program.

Whether you have a specific turning point or not, you MUST decide enough is enough. The pain of staying the same must be greater than the pain of change.

His Nutrition

“I had to clear out my own house first. It was built on a bad foundation.”
“…But also fresh vegetables, lean protein… I’m not a real hard-on about keeping strict calorie counts. I know what’s in my wheelhouse, what I can eat and what I can’t. And I’m satisfied eating it. I cannot tolerate sugar. I crossed over to the diabetic side, but I can’t tolerate it anyway because it creates hunger.”

Right on John! First fix the foundation, get rid of the crap. No change in eating equals no results. Now he’s getting protein and cutting the sugar, very important. And if you notice his eating is simple and supportive.

His Alcohol Intake

“Alcohol is alcohol. I’m an alcoholic. I would drink no matter what. That’s just part of being an alcoholic.”
“…and the big key was drinking.”

Goodman has cut out alcohol completely. The problem with alcohol is not just the calories or how many carbs are in your beer, that’s  marketing hype.

Like John said, first the alcohol then the food would follow. The mindless eating that goes along with drinking is what really packs on the pounds. For a lot of people it’s a slippery slope. Alcohol followed by crappy food causes cravings for more crappy food.

If you want to lose fat and see results fast, cut out the alcohol. Completely.

His Identity

This is an extremely powerful point and I don’t think we  give mindset and identity as much attention as we should. The  majority of people I consult with do not identify with their size . Quite often they tell me they feel trapped in a body that doesn’t match up to how they see themselves. If being overweight is “just who you are” or defines you in any way, then IT WILL BE DIFFICULT BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO LOSE WEIGHT.

I go through gyrations to not approach weight loss in a negative manner. But how you see yourself will dictate how you think, act, and your probability of success. I identify myself as being a healthy guy. I’ll admit my job helps me stay focused. I’ve avoided fast food simply because I don’t want someone I’m coaching to see me walking into McDonalds, it sends the wrong message.  Will I always stay in shape? I sure hope so. I may eat a donut from time to time, but I don’t see myself not working out, eating mindlessly and without care. Because that’s not “who I am”.

So if you identify yourself with being “the funny big guy” or in some other way with your weight; you”ll struggle to lose it. You might lose some for a period of time, but you WILL gain it back unless your identity changes. (This I suspect is one (but not the only) reason you see former Biggest Loser competitors gaining the weight back.)

So… on weight being apart of his persona and being worried about losing the weight and having problems getting acting parts…

“Hey, that’s too bad. I’ll scream and cry when I’m in the unemployment line, but that’s really secondary. I am what I am. I can act at different weights. It’s a miracle I was hired at all for a lot of these jobs.”

Don’t let ANYONE tell you who you are and what you can or can’t do. Ever!

His Exercise

All cardio John?

“This time we mixed in strength training with resistance bands. They’re great for me because I can contract and release slower, and that builds up better muscle for me.”

“I was doing a job in New Orleans twice a week called Treme. I was only working a couple days a week. I wanted to treat this other thing (exercise) like a job–to get healthy.”

This reflects  how he’s exercising. A well designed fat loss program today is built on getting the eating right first and resistance training to dump fat rapidly. The old programs of cardio, cardio, cardio  for weight loss are boring, time consuming, and ineffective.  Resistance training for maximum fat loss supplemented with short-burst cardio work is proving to be most effective.

His Effort

Does he like it?

“I do. I’m still a sucker for highs, and I get those endorphins. It’s just a feeling of well-being. I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’m doing what I should be doing. I feel good. I’m hopefully extending my life. Before, I didn’t care.”

Being fit, firm, strong, and capable; able to handle stress or any situation that comes your way. It’s not just about looking good, but feeling good… that’s when you have it all. To be able to do what you want when you want, that’s when you can live your best life!

But I can’t really describe what being fit feels like. It’s one of those things that has to be experienced. I think people sometimes feel so bad for so long, they forget what feeling really  good is like.

There are a TON of lessons to be taken from John’s weight loss story. I hope you pick them all up. Of course the 80/20 rule will apply to this instruction.

Many will read this and say, “Well, he’s a Hollywood actor, with money, and time, and blah, blah, blah.” And those people won’t do a thing. They’ll stay the same. Stagnant. Inactive. Unchanged. That’s fine. This isn’t for everybody.

The other camp will take this as another success story (yes, I have given you others) to model and motivate and see they can make a change in their life. What you do is your choice, but do make smart choices.
Dedicated to Your Success,

Dave

P.S. You can read his Men’s Health interview here.

P.P.S. If  you’re overweight and out of shape. Then you’ve come to the right place. You can and will get fast, visible, measurable results (with the only Unconditional Guarantee in DFW) with my Accelerator Personal Fitness programs. Call the office(817.320.0743) for more information or  to schedule your Fast Start Consult.

Host a Workplace Salad Potluck

August 19, 2010 in Motivation, Nutrition by admin | No comments

None

The key to successful weight loss is to have a strong support system around you.  Your home is yours, and you control what you do or do not keep in the house.  Most people eat more meals at work than in their home, however, which means your workplace needs to be a healthy food haven , as well.

How can you do this when it seems there is nothing but candy bowls, vending machines and take out?

Chances are, many people in your office are also looking to shape up, and fed up with the lack of healthy food.  They aren’t doing anything about it, so it’s up to you to set the example.  Try a workplace salad pot luck.

Send out a mass email, place a poster on the bulletin board, or use work of mouth to let everyone know that once a week, you will be hosting a workplace salad potluck.  Encourage everyone to bring their favorite healthy salads and sides to swap and share with coworkers for a healthy, low calorie, and fun lunch.

Sound boring? Forget the plain old garden salad.  Try these for delicious variety:

  • Cold couscous salad with veggies and feta
  • Fruit salad with plain  yogurt and nuts for topping
  • Whole wheat pasta salad with veggies and low fat Italian dressing
  • Broccoli salad with dried cherries, almonds and greek yogurt dressing
  • Tuna or salmon salad made with curry powder
  • Spinach salad with hard boiled egg whites and grilled chicken
  • A plate of fresh cut veggies and hummus for dipping

To keep calories low, always use yogurt instead of mayo (I SWEAR you won’t tell the difference) and to mix it up a little, one week have everyone bring 1 unique salad ingredient to make a salad bar.  Try grilled chicken, raisins, nuts, sunflower seeds, baby corn, cottage cheese- the possibilities are endless!

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Drew Carry’s 80 pound Weight Loss and One Possibly Fatal Flaw

August 17, 2010 in Fitness News, Health, Motivation, Nutrition, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized, success story by Dave | No comments

Drew Carrey Looking Good!

Drew Carey Looking Good!

I always enjoyed the Drew Carey Show. I liked Whose Line Is It Anyway even better. My favorite episode of all time was with Richard Simmons. If you haven’t seen it you should.

A couple of years  ago Drew took over Bob Barker’s place as host of the famed Price Is Right. Earlier this year he decided to lose the weight he’s carried for so long. To date he has lost 80 pounds!

You can read the full article on his weight loss here.

You can learn a lot from others successful practices. I’m going to break his program down and point out the good and not so good.

Let’s start with the GOOD.

“I was sick of being fat on the camera.”
Believe it or not, this is good. You’ll only change when there’s too much pain to stay where you’re at. If your current situation is not making you sick, or you’re not in much pain, then you’re likely OK with it. Just because someone may need to lose weight or improve their fitness doesn’t mean they want to. Most people call me only after seeing themselves in a recent photo(that’s how powerful denial is). For Drew it was sick of being fat on camera.

“I’m not diabetic anymore. No medication needed.”
Huge bonus! Obviously good. Type II diabetes is growing more and more and it’s controllable with diet and exercise. Drew knocked this one out.

“I don’t drink anything but water.”
Although not totally necessary, it’s a big step. Alcohol, soda, energy drinks loaded with sugar will all slow down weight loss results.

“Lots of cardio…at least 45 minutes of cardio.”
Meh….There’s a place for cardio in a Body Transformation Program.  He doesn’t mention anything about strength training, but I would guess he is doing some. Resistance training supplemented with short-burst cardio or intervals just crushes tired old cardio for results.  But cardio is important. It’s just usually done wrong, bores people to tears,  and it hurts more people than it helps. But he’s certainly doing it.

“(Losing weight) was easy because once you see the results, then you don’t wanna stop.”
There is no greater force than your own momentum. Once you get the ball rolling it picks up speed and gets faster and faster and faster. Soon you don’t want to stop. And losing weight becomes a lot easier!

He wants to lose weight so he can “be looking that great at 86″ like his predecessor Bob Barker. “I’d love to be able to play with him (his stepson) without getting tired, enjoy my life and watch him grow.”
As I told a group the other day, you must start with goals, motivation, and commitment. Drew clearly has his ‘reason why’ down. He wants to see his stepson grow up, and live a healthy, enjoyable life. Retiring with health problems is no way to grow old.

There’s no denying Drew is doing very well with his weight loss. But as I mentioned, there is a(potentially) FATAL FLAW. Did you find it?

“No carbs…not even a cracker. No bread at all. No pizza, nothing. No corn, no beans, no starches of any kind.” If you guessed this was his fatal flaw, you guessed right. Whether he’s doing Atkins, South Beach or a hybrid he designed himself. This type of total elimination-super strict eating is tricky. You can’t expect to stay on a diet by eliminating one of the macro-nutirents(carbs, protein, and fat)forever. They are ALL essential. It’s not about eliminating an entire category of food. But replacing  habits over time.

(I’m a complete mercenary about getting results: If it works- it works. But every person I’ve ever interviewed that was able to stick with no-carb long enough to lose weight eventually came off and gained the weight back. It’s like the no-carb needs a tappering or exit strategy added onto the back end.)

I’m careful not to make a negative prediction, but it’s possible he will gain his weight back. The no-carb thing is a double edged sword. Fast drop in weight-impossible to maintain for life. I won’t say how much he’ll gain or how long, but he will gain it back. That’s my prediction.

Drew I imagine is a social animal. I’m sure  he goes to some great restaurants and dinner parties. And sooner or later his craving for a donut or carbohydrate treat will cause him to crack. And that will be the start of a slippery slope.

That doesn’t discredit his hard work. The guy is a former U.S. Marine. And Hollywood isn’t for the weak. There’s no doubt there’s hardcore in his DNA. I just hate to see people work so hard and invest so much and not get long term results.

I’ve never in 20 years  seen two people who eat alike. The one size fits all meal plan is a bad idea. Straight old school cardio is boring, time consuming  and a weak tool to use for weight loss.  So make your plan or chose your program with care.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Dave

P.s. If you want to be like Drew-and dump a lot of weight-(without the no-carb craziness ) and get results fast call the office for a Fast Start Consultation-817.320.0743.

How Sally Dropped 30lbs(Her 7 Day Food Journal)

August 13, 2010 in Fitness, Fitness News, Health, Motivation, Nutrition, Q and A, Tips and Tricks by Dave | No comments

Sally over 130lbs.

Sally before over 130lbs.

Sally Joslin is at 48 a  busy mom, wife and educator. When she started her goal was to lose 20-25 pounds and to fit into the clothes in her closet again.

She won client of the month last year after dropping 21pounds and 17inches. Since then she’s dropped a total of 30pounds 21inches and nearly 11%in bodyfat.

Recently I asked her to share with you her actual 7 Day Food Journal. I also asked her to give you some of the tips that she discovered and strategies that worked for her. You’ll notice that this 5′2” now 100lb. dynamo isn’t starving herself.  She works out with us 2X a week does her own cardio and plays tennis 3-4 times a week! She’s eating 5 times a day and it’s all food no processed junk.

The food journal and tips below are pure gold.

After Losing 30 pounds!

After Losing 30 pounds!

Remember there is no “right diet”. Fat loss is almost always a process of a little testing here and there to find what works best for you. But it’s also good for you to see exactly what’s working for others.

Hi Dave,

Here’s the food journal

Mon-
Breakfast:  coffee, 1 whole egg, 100% whole wheat toast, 1/2 grapefruit

Snack:  1/2 c nonfat Greek yogurt; 1/4 c blueberries, a few cashews

Lunch:  grilled chicken breast, 1/2 c brown rice, steamed green beans

Snack:  lowfat cheese stick, grape tomatoes

Dinner:  tilapia with 1 t basil pesto, salad with homemade dressing- 1 T (olive oil/balsamic vinegar), steamed broccoli

Tues-
Breakfast:  coffee, oatmeal, 1 T ground flaxseed, blueberries, almond milk, cinnamon; 1 whole egg with 2 egg whites-scrambled

Snack: 1% cottage cheese with tomatoes, 1 green olive, chopped celery stirred in

Lunch:  1/2 turkey sandwich (clean-no additives or preservatives) on 100% whole wheat bread, lettuce, tomato; 1 c  homemade vegetable soup

Snack:  small orange; 10 almonds

Dinner:  big salad with lots of raw veggies and topped with grilled chicken breast; homemade dressing-1 T

Wed-
Breakfast:  coffee, 4 scrambled egg whites with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, tabasco; 100% whole wheat toast

Snack:  celery with 1 T almond butter

Lunch:  Spinach salad with feta, red onion, 1/2 green apple, a few walnuts, grilled chicken, 2 black olives with 1 T homemade honey mustard dressing; Mary’s Gone     Whole seed and grain crackers

Snack:  Smoothie made with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 c green tea (I leave a few glasses of water with tea bags brewing in the fridge), 1/4 c berries, 1/4 c nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 T lemon juice, a few ice cubes.  (If I drink this for breakfast I would  add 1/3 banana and 1/4 c oatmeal) – really good!

Bonus recipe:  1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1/3 banana, 1 T all natural peanut butter, 1 cup water; few ice cubes.  1/4 c  oatmeal and/or nonfat Greek yogurt -optional-  depending on when I’m drinking it-

Dinner:  white meat ground turkey meatloaf; roasted sweet potatoes, steamed green beans

Thurs-
Breakfast:  coffee, oatbran topped with ground flaxseed, almond milk, berries; scrambled eggs – 1 whole with 2 whites

Snack:  tuna with raw veggies

Lunch:  1/2 chicken  sandwich with lettuce & tomato (leftover grilled chicken, 100% whole wheat bread), raw veggies with hummus

Snack:  apple and 10 almonds

Dinner:  ground white meat turkey meatballs in tomato sauce on top of  swiss chard (I saute it with a little olive oil and garlic) This sounds weird but it’s actually delicious!

Fri-
Breakfast:  coffee, oatmeal topped with 2 T nonfat Greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 t honey, blueberries, a few walnuts, cinnamon; 4 boiled egg whites

Snack:  Muscle Milk Lite (chocolate)

Lunch:  homemade black bean soup; spinach salad with 1 T homemade dressing

Snack:  1/2 c nonfat Greek yogurt, kiwi

Dinner:  Grilled Salmon, 1/2 c quinoa, roasted asparagus, 1 glass white wine

Sat-
Breakfast:  coffee, 100% whole wheat toast with 1 T all natural peanut butter, 1/2 banana

Snack:  1/2 c nonfat Greek yogurt with 1/2 c berries

Lunch:  homemade cauliflower soup, spinach salad topped with lots of raw veggies and 1 chopped up boiled egg, homemade dressing 1 T

Snack:  hummus with raw veggies, a few 100% whole wheat pita chips (make your own-it’s easy and quick-then they’re clean)

Dinner:  from Mexican Restaurant-salad with grilled chicken fajita meat, (no cheese) and veggies, avocado, salsa for dressing; 1 corn tortilla; 1 Michelob Ultra

Sun-
Breakfast:  coffee, scrambled eggs (1 whole, 2 whites) with veggies; oatmeal with berries

Snack:  1/2 c nonfat Greek yogurt with a couple of drops of Stevia

Lunch:  grilled chicken, baked sweet potato, sauteed spinach in garlic and olive oil; 1 square 85% dark chocolate

Snack:  raw veggies with 10 almonds

Dinner:  Big salad with 1 can water packed tuna and lots of raw veggies,  and 1 T homemade dressing


Daily beverages:  lots of water; 1-2 cups coffee in the morning;  green or black tea most days
Favorite raw veggies:  cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, celery, carrots, bell peppers-all colors-I try to keep these cut up and ready to go.
I make big pots of soup and freeze individual portions so there’s always something I can go to – use these a lot for lunch.
Homemade salad dressings are quick and easy and then I know what’s in them.  They keep in the fridge all week -  family likes them too!

-I also asked Sally for some tips and strategies that worked for her-here they are.

1. Plan Ahead-pack lunch and snacks the night before in case you’re rushed the next morning

2. Have nuts/healthy snack in purse or laptop case so you always have something to eat-important not to get caught without a snack      because you’ll get too hungry and eat too much or make bad choices at the next meal (been there, done that)

3. When you’re cooking, cook extra – this is what you’ll eat for lunch the next few days

4. Freeze food – then actually take it out of your freezer, thaw, and eat it! I’ve always frozen food, but usually threw it away a year later. Soups, extra brown rice, cooked chicken or turkey meatballs  etc.. freeze well.

5. Eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

6. Ditch the Diet drinks -for lots of reasons but I think they increased my craving for sweet things. I haven’t had one since May 2009 – have saved lots of $ and haven’t missed them at all once I made the decision.

7. Remember that dessert is supposed to be a special treat – 1 time per week perhaps?- not a daily thing.

8. Try to get into a routine with a schedule and certain foods for awhile.  When you start, there’s so much to think about, if you have a few healthy foods you like, then keep rotating those until you get the hang of this new way of eating.  It seems like all you are doing is thinking about food and eating at first, but that will lessen in time.  It will become automatic.  So keep it simple at first.

9. When you do get the hang of it, and if you like to cook, try some new healthy recipes.

10. I really don’t go to fast food places at all anymore.  Read Michael Pollan’s book and you probably won’t either.  Look online at the calorie counts and ingredients (chemicals and sodium) and it will surprise you.  You’ll feel so empowered as you pass by them, and go home and eat something healthy.

11. My final and most important tip: Don’t eat any food that you don’t want to make someone else happy.  Only YOU get to decide what you eat or don’t.  Take ownership of that.

Um… What else is there to say? This is great!

Remember don’t try to put it all into play at once. Small incremental changes over time will result in some big changes on the scale,in your clothes, and in the way you feel.

Have a great weekend!

Dedicated to Your Success,

Dave

How Active Are You, Honestly?

August 10, 2010 in Fitness, Motivation by admin | No comments

gym

Your alarm goes off early before work.  You hop out of bed, put on your workout clothes you laid out the night before, lace up your sneaks and hit the gym.

Proud of yourself, right?  Making it to the gym puts you a step ahead of most people.  You make the healthy decision to wake up early and go to the gym 3-5 times a week- makes you pretty active, right?

Whether you aren’t seeing the results you think you’re working so hard for, or you think you are doing perfectly fine in your current routine,you need a reality check.  Everyone can use a reality check every once in a while and people are infamous for over estimating their activity level.  Think those trips to the gym make your activity level ‘moderately’ or even ‘very’ active?  Ask yourself a few questions:

Did you drive to the gym?  Drive to work afterward?  Maybe sit on the subway or the bus?  Sit at a desk all day?  Use the elevator everywhere? Drive home? Crash on the couch for hours watching TV before you lay in bed for hours of sleep before doing it all over again?

What’s the big deal?  Over estimating your activity level can effect how many calories you think you need in a day.  Not enough activity, plus too many calories, equals weight gain.  You have to be real with yourself.

Way back when, there were no gyms just for recreational exercise, because the only thing people did all day was move.  Farm, build, walk, lift, sweat, work, repeat.

Along came modern day conveniences and dense neighborhoods have taken over, we don’t move anymore.  Gyms were opened to the masses to make up for the lack of activity in our lives, but even an hour or two of crazy workouts can’t undo 8+ hours of sitting.

You have to move.  You ave to keep up on your workouts but don’t rely on them as your only source of activity.  Take every opportunity to work on your fitness and your body and health will thank you.

Kelly Turner is a Seattle area ACE Certified Personal Trainer, health and fitness writer and editor of the fitness website, PhysiqueSpeak.com. To contact Kelly with any questions, you can email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

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Why You REALLY Aren’t Losing Weight

July 29, 2010 in Fitness, Health, Motivation, Nutrition by admin | No comments

fat-loss

According to a recent survey, only one in every eight adult Americans actually knows how many calories they should be eating in a day. This is odd, because almost 75% of adult Americans have reported recently changing their eating habits (the overwhelming majority of which did it in an effort to lose weight).

So 75% have changed their eating habits, but only 1 in 8 know the basic principal of how many calories to consume.  This is the reason that most people who are trying to drop pounds are screaming “why isn’t the scale moving??”

The study also showed that over half of the respondents (57%) considered themselves overweight, while 8% said they were obese. In reality, 34% of people are obese and 33% of people are overweight.

Denial and lack of knowledge are the main reasons you aren’t dropping the weight.

You MUST be educated on nutrition and fitness and what it actually takes to get results.  You can’t stab wildly in the dark and hope to get results.  Set up an appointment, and speak with a professional.  Call today.

Kelly Turner is a Seattle area ACE Certified Personal Trainer, health and fitness writer and editor of the fitness website, PhysiqueSpeak.com. To contact Kelly with any questions, you can email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

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10 Ways to Boost Your Motivation

July 21, 2010 in Motivation by admin | No comments

bored-girl-on-treadmill

Even the most dedicated exercisers have bad days.  Sometimes the last thing anyone wants to do is get out of bed and go work out.  It’s easy to fall into an exercise rut and get bored, so the key is to make fitness exciting again.  Here are 10 sure fire ways to spark your motivation and get excited about exercise again:

  1. Buy new fitness equipment to use in your home when you can’t make it to the gym.  Some cheap places to start are dumbbells, yoga mats, new fitness DVDs or resistance bands.
  2. Hire a personal trainer, even if you can only afford one session.  Learning new moves will get you excited about making improvements in your health and fitness.
  3. Buy yourself a new gym outfit or gear to boost your confidence.
  4. Go for an urban adventure.  Most people run or bike through quiet, low populated areas, but new scenery with tons of people and activity can really energize your body and senses.  Be sure to watch out for cars.
  5. Follow your workout with a massage and/or pedicure as a nice reward.
  6. Try a new exercise you have never tried before for each muscle group.  You may find a few more favorites to add to your routine.
  7. Buy a few issues of a few different fitness magazines and get motivated by the models.  Girls: Strong is the new skinny, so admire muscle tone and strength instead of super skinny models.  Guys:  You gotta work for those guns!
  8. Focus on a new goal.  If your current goal isn’t enough to get you to the gym, perhaps it’s time to focus on something new.
  9. Try a different mode of exercise.  If you usually hit the gym, hit the trails.  If you are an avid biker, try a different sport, like tennis.
  10. Be an inspiration to someone you know.  Invite them to come to the gym with you, and teach them all your moves.

Motivation wanes, so you have to have a back up plan to get you excited about working out.  Find the trick that works for you, or try a different strategy each time you feel the ‘blahs’ coming on.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Kelly Turner is a Seattle area ACE Certified Personal Trainer, health and fitness writer and editor of the fitness website, PhysiqueSpeak.com. To contact Kelly with any questions, you can email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

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