Your time is extremely valuable. It is in fact…. irreplaceable.

Just say NO! to boring, time-consuming, ineffective cardio.

Don’t waste your valuable time on exercise methods that don’t reduce bodyfat, tone and tighten. This rocks by doing all three at once. Afterburn Cardio  delivers results like FedEX delivers packages Quickly, Efficiently and Overnight!

I want you to have an arsenal of fast-action workouts to choose from.  So you never have to ask yourself what to do on your cardio days. It’s simple- do this. There are so many logistical advantages to these workouts.

This is the perfect “Day Off” workout.

The perfect hotel room workout.

The perfect no equipment, no time gotta be at work early workout.

You’re going to use a lot of muscle in a short amount of time and your body will thank you for it by burning fat. And you’ll get stronger at the same time. Double WIN!

Dedicated to Your Success,

Dave

P.s. Get the Support and Coaching you need to get the Results you want. For your FREE Fast-Start consultation and Week of Accelerator Personal Training($179 Value) Call Jennifer at 817.320.0743 to get started now.

You want to lose weight- so what is your go-to meal?  Salads.  Full of veggies, low on starchy carbs, and toss in a little bit of lean protein and you have a low calorie delicious meal made in weight loss heaven, no?

Probably not.

Most people trying to lose weight, or those trying not to consume their daily allowance in one sitting, will automatically order a salad when they go to a restaurant, feeling like it’s the only safe bet.  More often than not, those salads contain the same amount of calories as a burger.  Seems like a waste.

Just because you throw a bunch of crap on top of a bed of lettuce, doesn’t mean it’s going to be good for you.  To get the most (and the least) from your salads, listen up:

• Choose nutrient-rich dark green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach, romaine, and endive over iceberg lettuce which offers little nutritional value.  It’s pretty much water,m which is low in calories, but doesn’t nothing for your health.
• Fill up with tons of veggies like cucumbers, peppers, broccoli and tomatoes. The brighter the colors, the more nutrient packed the veggie is so look for deep greens, bright reds, yellows and everything in between.
• Add a little lean protein to keep you fuller longer. Opt for beans, lean meat, turkey, and tuna over fatty meats like ham, pepperoni, salami and definitely anything deep fried.
• All salads are not created equal.   Pasta salad, potato salad, tuna salad, chicken salad and macaroni salad are loaded with fatty mayo and oils.  I feel like I shouldn’t even have to say that, but there it is, just in case.
• Skip extras like croutons, crackers, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheeses, and go easy on healthy, but calorie dense extras, like nuts and seeds. These little additions can easily add hundreds of calories to you salad.
• Dressing is probably the easiest way to undo a healthy salad. Choose low fat or fat free dressing, oil based dressings, or just a little vinegar. Always put dressing on the side and dip each bite so you control how much you use.
• Add some sweet with fruits. They are great on the side, or try interesting combinations on top of your salad, like pineapples, blueberries, orange segments or strawberries.

Fast food salads are pre-made and rarely give you the option of choosing your toppings. However, they usually give you the topping in individual packets so you can choose what you put on. Skip crunchy noodles or croutons, bacon and cheese. Always ask for the low fat or fat free dressing choice, even if it isn’t the dressing that comes with your order- most places will accommodate.

Never order an already designed salad for you at a restaurant.  Make substitutions and eliminations.  Their job is to make it taste good, not to ensure you can button your goal jeans, so be your own watch dog.

Salads can be your be your best friend, or your worst diet enemy. Make smart choices with what you load onto your lettuce.

Kelly Turner is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and health and fitness writer from Seattle, WA.  Her writing has appeared in numerous magazines, and she currently blogs for Breathe Magazine, Kidglue.com is the Health and Fitness Expert for Twirlit.com and feature fitness writer for FitPeeps.com.  To contact Kelly with any questions, you email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

Who is this post for?
If you’re in decent shape. You’ve reached you initial goals that got you off your butt in the first place. You’ve been training for a while maybe even a long while. You’ve got a handle on your eating and while training isn’t exactly easy you’d like a bit more motivation. Lets call it the “what’s next?” question.

It’s time to set your Big Hairy Audacious Goal(BHAG). I stole the BHAG from business management but it works for individuals too. The BHAG is something far from easy but reachable with much effort. You’ll use what you have now and build upon this foundation to get to the BHAG.
Examples of BHAG’s-

1.Triathlons: any distance is a challenge. Combine Swimming, Cycling, and Running and you’ve got a goal you can believe in. Type A+ personalities do this at your own risk of addiction.

2. Road Races: 5ks- Marathon’s(Cowtown Marathon is right here!) to Marathons in Europe(couple of clients did these in 2009 and loved! the travel and adventure).

3. Ultra-Marathons: got a marathon under your belt? Go longer like 50k or 50 miles to start. The El-Scorcho 25k and 50k is right here in Fort Worth during the summer. I do this one myself. And I get nausea just thinking about it! Good Times!

4.Trekking, Mountain Climbing- You can put these trips together yourself or go to a trusted provider like Backwoods Adventures(Fort Worth) and hike Yellowstone National Park or Utah parks or Trek on one of 4 different Continents.

5. Adventure Vacations: where you have to show it off like Hawaii. Or a Vacation where you have to use it or lose it like Scuba Diving, Skiing, or Snow Boarding

7. Adventure Racing, Mud Runs, Urban Races: all different terrains and all require you to adapt to ever changing environments and challenges.

Two big factors actors make the BHAG so effective to reaching the next level.

First you have to tell others about the event or trip. These type of events can’t be done in private. This is the accountability factor. In a good way. “I’ve already told everyone” will get you out of bed many many mornings.

And the second big factor is the deadline element.It’s the forcing mechanism behind the goal.You’ve made the investment in registration, travel and hotels.
You cannot move the date of the trip or the start of the race back. It’s your deadline. You will surprise yourself at what adjustments you’ll make to be ready on time.

Chose your BHAG. Set the dates. Make the reservations. And tell your friends.

BTW you will never “be” ready. And there never is a “right time”.
So
just
do
it
NOW.

Hope this helps some of my veterans and those coming in that need that extra motivation. 2010 is your year baby. Let’s make it a good one!

Dedicated to Your Success,
Dave

P.s. I know you’re thinking “What about the cost?” A very smart friend of mine says “Collect Experiences Not Things”. With this philosophy he lives a life most people only dream about. Because he got it right. This is an investment in you. To see how good you can really be. I think you’ll surprise yourself.

If you can’t tell from the pics above We (Tracy, Baby Girl, Gracie, and The Boy) traveled overnight to meet-up with family for Christmas.

Travel events to date.
1. Left an entire suitcase! in the car at DFW.
2. One Stuffed Dog left at luggage pick-up.
3. One GPS unit destroyed.(Don’t ask)

Not a bad start all and all.

What’s this have to do with fitness?

Well if you want to travel with small children. You better be in good shape . Because it’s Exhausting!

Seriously combine travel and the Holidays and you get all kinds of workout consistency problems.

I can give you a couple tips for pulling off flying and travel and not destroying your progress.

(Pro-Tip: plan where you’ll train before you leave town. Google your destination address and the word fitness or gym. That will give you the closest facilities available. Call ahead and get the details on visitor passes and holiday hours.)

1. For a flight, stock up on healthy snacks for the road. Air. Whatever. While you might love your airline pretzels, they aren’t going to hold you over for long.

2. Flying will dehydrate you. Carry an empty water bottle through security and fill it on the other side. Drink plenty of water. Pass on sodas, and especially alcohol(that’s for later), and opt for sparkling or regular water when the drink cart comes around.

3. Best tip is the simplest. Workout before you head to air port. Travel can be, even for the best prepared, stressful. Getting your workout in early can help you deal with airline stress, and help make your trip a smooth one. It will be one less thing to worry about. And you’ll have done at least one thing to preserve your health that day.

Here’s to your safe travel!

I Hope You All Have a Great Great Holiday!

Dedicated to Your Success,
Dave

Great night last night!

Thanks to Jim and James for letting me speak to their training groups last night.

Thanks to Ryan Valdez for talking about what the program has done for him and his running.

Here’s the bottom line for runners and resistance work.

To be a better runner, the first and most important element is to run more.

The question isn’t whether to do resistance training or do more miles. The reason to strength train is to be able to do more miles without injury. And then to use that strength to run faster and/or farther than before.

Dedicated to Your Success,
Dave

You’ve tried your best, and you’ve done well: you’ve kept all the crap out of the house, you’ve been making your workouts consistently, making smart choices when away from home, and clued in all your friends and family that you are trying to make healthy changes.

You’ve done everything right, but then somehow something sneaks into your house.  Maybe its come cookies left over from your kid’s school party, a jar of candy canes from the office, or a yule log the neighbor pawned off on you brought over.

Great, no it is in your home, probably staring you in the face on your kitchen counter, and tempting you at every turn.  What do you do?

Depends.  Is it there because no one else wants it and is hoping someone else will eat it?

If yes:

Give it away. Pawn it off onto someone else, pronto.

Throw it away. Junk food is a waste anyway, so you can waste it by eating it and ruining your efforts, or you can waste it by throwing it out.  The last one? Calorie-free.

Ruin it. If the cookies on a paper plate wrapped in cellophane is too tempting, even in the trash (it didn’t touch anything!) ruin it.  Pour water on it.  Or coffee grounds. Or crumble them up in make sure they fall deep into the trash.

If no, and it’s something the rest of your family wants, if you don’t devour it first:

Make it hard to get to. Wrap it up extra tight.  a few dozen times. Then  put it in a tupperware.  Each layer is a second chance to say no.

Out of sight, out of mind. Put them in a high cupboard, deep in the pantry, or under some crap in a drawer.

Individually package everything. You can allow yourself one treat, but where people usually get into trouble is when they go back for another one.  And then eat the crumb that dropped which means you have to eat the next one it touched, etc.  If you want one, grab one, but just ONE.

Freeze it. Frozen cookies or brownies are still good if you let them defrost- it just takes a little time and patience. Patience is the enemy of an impulse snack, so the longer something takes to prepare, the less likely you are to inhale it.

Just say no. To someone else.  If you think you might eat it, tell your significant other to keep you away from it, or rather, keep it away from you.  Why should you be in charge of something that is going to tempt you?

Never say “oh well” when temptations try and trip you up.  Get rid of it, or do your best to keep as much distance between it and you as possible.  The occasional treat is fine, if you really want it, but never ever eat something just because its there.

Its those dreaded words everyone trying to lose weight fears, “Let’s go for Chinese.”

But dread not.  While Chinese fare is known for being deep fried, smothered in fatty, sugary and salty sauces, with loads of white rice- there are actually many dishes, or substitutions you can make, that are healthy for you.

Think of the most infamous healthy meal- chicken, veggies and brown rice. These are the components of most Chinese meals- except smothered, covered, and fried.  If you remove those additions, however, you can certainly mix and match to make a great meal, and leave room for a few fortune cookies.

Here’s how to decode and health-up your Chinese take out.

Crispy, sweet and salty are your enemy- they equal tons of calories and fat.  Stay away from anything fried, which includes spring rolls, egg rolls, breaded meats, dumplings, crispy noodles and fried rice (oh dear, the fried rice.)

Stir fried sounds like a good option, but in a restaurant this equals tons of oil.  Ask for steamed, or if they can use light oil when making your dish.

Some dishes that sound like they are just veggies and meat or tofu, can show up to the table drenched in sauce.  Ask for your dishes dry, or with no sauce, to avoid surprises.

Look for dishes that are braised, roasted, simmered or steamed.

White rice and pasta is like glue to your arteries.  Ask if you they have a brown rice or whole wheat option, and if not, just skip it- its filler anyway, so use veggies instead.

Portions are infamous for being big at Chinese restaurants, so dine family style and take home tons of left overs.

Some Safe Bets Straight off the Menu:

• Soups- egg drop and wonton are low in calories (about 100 and 200, respectively) and can fill you up
• Steamed veggies- always a good idea to add bulk, and important nutrients for very few calories.
• Moo Goo Gai Pan
• Steamed Veggie Dumplings are about 115 calories- frying them adds up to 100 calories
• Steamed Tofu and Veggies are about 290 calories
• Steamed Veggies and Chicken is about 490 calories
• Chicken Chop Suey is 600 calories

You can even get dessert! Fortune cookies are about 20 calories each.

I gave you The Eating Out Survival Guide back in August, which gives general tips for eating out while trying to lose weight.  Sometimes some restaurants can be more confusing than others- especially when you aren’t as familiar with the cuisine, and what goes into it.

Today we tackle Mexican Restaurants: everyone loves them, but rarely does anyone know exactly what goes into the dishes- except for thousands of calories.

The biggest concerns with Mexican cuisine is the huge portions, the over load of fatty, calorie dense cheese, and the preparation of most of the food: ie. frying.

Some other insider tips- the beans are almost always made with lard, weighing in at about 640 calories per cup (which is about 2 of those little free dishes you get with your chips), taco salads often contain more than 1,000 calories, especially if you eat the shell, and the extra condiments are usually where the trouble lies: beans, cheese, sour cream and guacamole can all add up to hundreds and hundreds of extra calories.

When going to a Mexican restaurant, beware of these menu words:
* Rellenos (stuffed, usually with cheese)
* Chorizo (Mexican sausage, very fatty)
* Con Queso (with cheese, lots of it)
* Combination (usually a very large portion of many different things)
* Crispy (fried, especially shells and wraps)

and pass on these dishes:
* Cheese Quesadilla: around 900 calories
* Refried Beans (Frijoles): around 640 calories per cup
* Nachos: around 800 calories and as much as 65g fat
*Cheese Enchiladas: around 980 calories
*Chicken Tostada: around 935 calories

There are a few safe choices, however. Mexican food is a great way to get your veggies and leans proteins.

Try ordering:

Chicken fajitas- ask for no butter (that’s what makes ‘em sizzle) and corn tortillas with contain less fat than flour. Skip the guac and sour cream, and load them up with salsa.

Gazpacho- The cold tomato soup has green peppers and cucumber. It’s fat-free, full of vitamin C and beta carotene, and only has 60 calories.

Ceviche (fish or shrimp cocktail marinated in citrus, sometimes with tomato and avocado) is delicious, fresh and low in calories.

Shrimp tacos and fish tacos- as long as they aren’t deep fried! Ask for no breading.

Taco salads- skip the shell, and make sure there are no beans. A fresh bed of lettuce, fresh tomatoes and a little cheese over shredded chicken can be delicious and low in calories if you skip the extra stuff.

You can still eat at your favorite restaurants- just educated on those tricky extras that add thousands of calories to your meals.

Headed to a Halloween party this weekend?  Scared you’ll overindulge and end up looking more like a jack-o-lantern than a witches broom?

Bring a safe dish. Bring a dish with you that you know is healthy to munch on so that the other dishes don’t seem to tempting.  This little trick works for any party/holiday/gathering, but bringing something that fits the theme can be tricky.

I searched the internet and found the healthiest, spookiest dishes for you to bring along to your Boo-bash so you can spend more time having fun than worrying about those pumpkin cookies and cocktails calling your name.

Puking Pumpkin Dip

Hollow out a small pumpkin, and carve a jack-o-lantern face. Place the pumpkin on a platter. Fill the pumpkin with a healthy, creamy dip like hummus or guacamole, and spoon some of the dip out of the Jack-o-lanterns mouth to get a puking effect. Arrange lots of fresh vegetables and pretzels around the pumpkin for dipping.

Pumpkin Seeds

Take your left over pumpkin guts and separate the seeds from the goop. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the seeds and place them on a paper towel to dry. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick spray, and spread out seeds in an even layer. Sprinkle with salt, or other desired spices. Bake for 10-20 minutes until crisp, turning once. Store in an airtight container.

Orange Jack-o-Lanterns

Hollow out a few oranges by cutting a hole in the top and scooping out the insides. Fill the orange with vanilla yogurt, and serve with slices of fruit. To make a face, cut out shapes with fruit and secure with toothpicks.

Orange and Black Tray

Vibrant colored foods tend to be more healthy, so we are lucky orange is part of the Halloween color scheme. Pair healthy orange foods with black bean dip for dunking. Try: orange bell pepper slices, carrot sticks, sweet potato chips or fries, orange tomatoes, or sliced baked butternut squash.

Green Slime Smoothies

1 banana, sliced and frozen

1/2 c. frozen pineapple

1/2 c. apple, pineapple or orange juice

1/2 c. milk (almond, soy or regular)

1 large handful of spinach

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glass, and serve

Every one gets low on motivation and struggles to make it through their workouts.  Having an inspirational quote on hand to push you through can do wonders.  Read through the list below and find one that speaks to you.  Memorize it or write it down and put it in your gym bag to give yourself that extra push when you feel you might quit.

Your muscles don’t know if you enjoyed your workout, it only knows if you’ve done it. -Unknown

The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret.
- Sarah Bombell, synchronized swimmer

You cannot plow a field by turning it over in your mind.
- Unknown

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.
- Beverly Sills

Just do it. – Nike

You only ever grow as a human being if you’re outside your comfort zone.
- Percy Cerutty

If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat.
- Herschel Walker

Only those who risk going to far can possibly find out how far one can go.
- T.S. Eliot

Nothing will work unless you do.
- John Wooden

Fitness – If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body.
- Cher

You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life.
- Les Brown

Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
-Unknown

Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.
-Thomas Jefferson

I never regret it when I do it, but I always regret it when I don’t.
-Unknown

This is not the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
-Unknown

What do you whisper to yourself to make it through your workout?