Holiday Confessions of a Personal Trainer

I just think it's fair you know that your personal trainer probably isn't so perfect as you might think!   Actually not even close!  I'm sure a few people have overheard me saying one of my favorite "Avoiding Responsibility" Sayings, "Do as I say, not as I do!"  I thought it would be good to have a little Confession Session especially this time of year when the temptations are so high and no one's really perfect!

Confession #1 I don't workout on Holidays...

YEP, I pretty much like to be a bit lazy and just enjoy my family for that one day.  I've had good intentions of at least going for a walk after Thanksgiving Dinner but that has only happened twice in the last 10 years!   If you get up and go for a run or do a HIIT workout before everyone in your house gets up, before the hustle and bustle begins, good for you! Way to GO!  For me that sounds great, but I just don't do it!

Confession #2 I usually eat pie at least twice during the Holidays.  

I eat clean about 80% of the time but I have never deprived myself of everything during the holidays.  Knowing my body, I know that I will probably gain a few pounds that week just for that small slice of pie and half a cup of greenbean casserole, but I don't care!  Well, I do care, but I also want to enjoy life and depriving myself of life's little goodies isn't on my ToDo list!

Confession #3 I once ate a whole bag of Holiday Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candy Covered Thin Pretzels!

  Not sure if it was last year or two years ago, but I remember stopping at Safeway and I saw these little Pepperidge Farm treats on an end cap just gleaming at me! I thought I would get them and just have a few... Big Oops!  I seriously ate the whole bag on the way home that night!  Needless to say, when I saw these treats this year I literally slapped my hand as I walked by them,,, and (lucky for my waist line) kept on walking!

Well, I'm sure there are more confessions but I better stop because I'm a personal trainer and I'm supposed to be a good role model... haha!   DO as I Say NOT as I DO! Right??
I'm not perfect, no one is!
When you're not perfect, don't sweat it... just enjoy a little in moderation and move on, but Don't give up!  Living the healthy lifestyle is for the rest of your life!

Almond Joys

I'm always making protein treats of some sort that my family likes to consume. This particular day I was making almond protein balls, just like I had so many times, but this day these protein balls turned out a little different.

As I was mixing up the ingredients and I started to roll them into balls, my ten year old overheard me complaining that they were too sticky. Thankfully he knew what to do, "Hey Mom we have coconut, just roll them in coconut!" 

And so that's exactly what I did! 

As the family gathered around for a

sampling I heard someone yell out "These are just like Almond Joys"

And ohhh, what a JOY they were! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 jar of natural creamy almond butter

1/4 c ( or less) honey 

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed

2 packets of TLS chocolate whey protein (or TLS chocolate

nutrition shake would probably work- it would just change the nutrition facts)

3/4 C unsweetened shredded coconut 

Optional (probably not on your approved food list)- a handful of mini chocolate chips

 Mix all ingredients except the coconut and form into balls.

Roll in coconut.

Store in airtight container in the freezer (or the fridge if you like them soft.)

                        ENJOY!!! 

Nutition Facts per ball: 24 servings Calories: 114   Carbs: 6 grams   Fat: 8 grams   Protein: 4 grams

PUMPKIN PIE PROTEIN SHAKE

PUMPKIN PIE PROTEIN SHAKE


Blend in the blender:

1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 C water
1/4 C pure pumpkin purée 
1/4 teasp. pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop low carb vanilla whey protein
5-6 ice cubes

ENJOY!!!

Protein Pumpkin Bars for Fall 2013

PUMPKIN PROTEIN BARS 

These bars go quite well with my pumpkin protein shake!

1/2 C Splenda or brown sugar substitute of choice: I like "Ideal Brown Sugar"
1 heaping cup of Oat Flour
1 cup Low Carb Vanilla whey protein powder
2 teasp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp vanilla extract
4 lrg egg WHITES
15 oz. can raw pumpkin
4oz. of natural applesauce
1/2 C unsweetened almond milk

chopped nuts are optional
Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and all wet ingredients in a different bowl
Combine the two bowls, try not to over stir
It will be the consistency of thick cake batter
spray or grease a  9x13 baking dish (I use a glass dish)
bake on the middle rack at 350 for 30 minutes or until the middle is firm and toothpick comes out clean.

When they cool I cut them into squares and individually wrap them, for a convenient on the go healthy snack. Store them in the fridge or freezer. With that protein, they do not last on the counter very long.
These bars don't need frosting but to please my kid I whipped up this version of sticky cream cheese frosting and it turned out pretty tasty!

"Protein Cream"
4oz FF Cream cheese
1 teasp Vanilla extract
1teasp Truvia
1/2 Tablespoon FF milk (add more if you like it thinner.)
1 scoop low carb vanilla whey protein
blend with handmixer

Store in the fridge!

I hope you all ENJOY these treats as much as my family and I have!



It Takes Time...

Since May of this year I've been working at my new job as a personal trainer and a food coach.  It doesn't feel like a "J-O-B"  it just feels like I am helping people... Yep, helping people get healthy and regain their well-being!  BUT- I've learned the hard way that I can't help them if they don't want to help themselves....
So, here's the burning question... Why do people who so badly want to lose weight and regain their health give up after only a few weeks of being on a program?  It's so sad for me to watch people, who desperately need to get healthy, do quite well the first few weeks and then just give up after the second or third week!  WHY!!!???  What makes some people have the lack of perseverance? 
One of the biggest reasons people give up is they don't see instant results on the scale.  That's crazy!  You didn't gain all that weight in one day, you aren't going to lose it all in a day or even a week! Here's what you need to do:
#1. STOP GETTING ON THE SCALE everyday! I recommend getting on the scale every 4 weeks... Okay, I know what you "obsessive weighers" are thinking.  So fine, get on the scale once a week; same time of the same day,same day of the week~ for example every Monday morning 6am, wearing the same clothes.   WHY not every day you ask???  Due to your hormones, activity level, food choices, salt intake, hydration levels, your metabolism going crazy and for females "that time of the month" the scale is going to fluctuate a lot during a weeks time! There's no need to mentally "roller coaster" with the scale.
#2 If you are on program and you know you are moving more and eating less (at least 300 calories less than your BMR) then just TRUST THE PROCESS and STICK WITH IT. 
Sometimes it can take up to 4 weeks for the scale to start moving in the right direction.  "Weight loss happens the minute you don't give up." (Schober,2012)  Our bodies can be so uncooperative sometimes! I know it seems so unfair but if you are willing to stick with it you will eventually see results.  UNLESS....
Unless you are cheating!   Are you cheating?  Are you falling off the program in the afternoons?  or the weekends??  Did you justify that piece of cake, sugar laden latte or glass of wine because you did so well all week?  Guess what? You will probably just "maintain" this week if you are cheating, even just a little bit.  It's sad but true; I've seen it with my body and lots of other people... It only takes 2 days of "mild" cheats to blow all your hard work you did the other 5 days of the week!    
So step #3 is STOP CHEATING!  BE Consistent! 
It takes time... it takes consistency! 
Revisit your "WHY" and use your determination to stick with it, be strong and don't give up!

    



Schober, Tony. "Weight Loss Happens the Moment You Don't Give up." CoachCalorie. Disqus. 23 January 2012. Web. 5 Oct 2013.

Bulky or athletic???

Lately,,, I've had several girls tell me they feel they get too bulky when they lift weights.  I really think there is a big misconception about what causes bulk.  Bulk isn't all muscle; it is muscle covered by fat!  So if you feel that you are too bulky, then it is important to fine tune your diet to lose the excess fat -- not give up weight training.

If your goal is to move and look like the Hulk, then feel free to continue performing body-part splits and hitting every machine in the gym. Those machines have their place, but they are not indicative of every training program!

If your goal is to look, move and feel like an athlete, you need a different approach. Elite athletes need their body to function as an efficient unit. Splitting the body into parts like legs, chest, back and biceps will not meet that goal, Instead, focus on big-bang movements that utilize multiple muscle groups! 

The Calorie Coach backs me up!

So, check out this article!

See, I'm not kiddin!!! You can't lose fat from just one specific part of your body! The Calorie Coach sums it up by saying you gotta workout hard and eat right!! 

http://www.coachcalorie.com/the-localized-fat-loss-myth/

Do You Eat Bread!?

Did you know you do not need bread to survive? And most bread has High fructose corn syrup in it?!! However, if you must have bread I recommend Ezekiel. It is made with sprouted grains instead of flour and there is no sugar in it. It can be found in your grocery store's freezer section. I recommend keeping it in the freezer. I actually take a few pieces out at a time and put them in a baggie in the refrigerator. Because there are no preservatives in Ezekiel it doesn't last long out on the counter. I also prefer it toasted! And I've got used to it with no butter, or spread. Hope this helps to make a better choice.
Eat clean! Be active! Be healthy! And be happy!

Workouts With an Attitude!

So, here's my workouts from this winter.... I did 4 of these 5 routines this past winter... each for 3-4 weeks.  My favorite was the first! 
If you need ideas... check em out!   http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/5_routines_for_women.htm

TRY SOMETHING NEW... OR GET A TRAINER
AND PUSH IT TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL!

 GET IN THE GYM... AND START LIFTING SOME IRON!

 GET A BUDDY WHO YOU LIKE TO SWEAT WITH... OR WHO STILL LIKES YOU WHEN YOU SWEAT... (gross,,, I'm sweatin' oh well, Tina doesn't care! haha!)



Got belly fat??

I know this is hard to swallow because its just not the answer you want to hear. But here goes....
I've had several ladies in the last month ask me what exercises to do to get rid of flab, as they squeeze their belly.
Here's the answer: my saying I stole from someone (I don't remember, maybe Erin Stern?) "Abs are made in the kitchen."
I am all for building stronger abdominal muscles and a stronger core. However, you already have ab muscles hidden under layers of fat. In order to see your ab muscles you have to diet down to get rid of that cover of fat.
If you are serious about getting rid of flab and your don't know where to start and need help, Contact me!! Leave me a comment or message me on Facebook

Rocket Science (again)

When it comes to the topic of weight loss, I realize everyBODY is different and what works for some does not work for others!

I totally understand losing weight is not easy! Everyone's body is different. And then you have to take into consideration outside factors such as metabolism, medical conditions, medications, stress, environment, what you're eating, when you eat, what you're not eating macronutient percentages, and even water intake. Not to mention your genetics plays a huge role in losing fat.
I think the human body is a very intricate machine and there's LOTS of hard to understand science behind how the body gains and loses fat and muscle.
However, I'm going to say this even though I will have some who want to argue this point... "WEIGHT LOSS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE",,, okay maybe it is, but we don't have to make it so difficult!

It is very simple... Diet and exercise! If you want to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you need to sustain your body. It's the simple math of input/output! The bigger the person you are the more calories your body needs to maintain itself with proper body function etc. For example, I don't need to consume as many calories as my "big man" of a husband!
First, you need to determine your Basal Metabolic Rate which is what your body needs to maintain itself on a daily basis (if you did NOTHING all day). Use this formula:

A Woman's Basal Metabolic rate (BMR) = 655 + (4.35 x Weight) + (4.7 x Height in Inches) - (4.7 x Age in yrs)

A Man's BMR = 66 + (6.23 x W) + (12.7 x H) - (6.8 x A)

So when you get your BMR that is the number of calories you need to maintain if you do nothing at all! Which is surely NOT the case!

(My BMR is 1,186! ohhh, that's not very many daily calories!)

So finish with the Harris Benedict Formula (to add calories to account for all your daily activities):

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor. (see below):

•If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2

•If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : BMR x 1.375

•If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55

•If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : BMR x 1.725

•If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : BMR x 1.9

For the record I said I was moderately active and that bumps me up to 1839! That's more like it!

So now if you decrease your calories and/or add in exercise (or keep exercising if you already are) you are going to create a caloric deficit. Obviously, you can do both, decrease calories and add exercise, for a more effective weight loss plan.

To decrease calories just subtract 10-20% from your BMR+activity (daily) to force your body to start using it's reserve fat stores. To me, this is the tricky part!!! Most people think "more is better."
For example, "If I drop my calories by 1000 I should lose weight really fast!" That may be true but that's also called a "Crash Diet" and weight doesn't stay off with "Crash Diets" Amanda Adams article Here's another point for some of you to argue... I believe if you go too low your body goes into "Starvation Mode" and it will slow down your metabolic rate therefore slowing down your progress! However, you would eventually lose weight if you continue to starve yourself to death,,, literally! Furthermore, as soon as you start eating again you will gain it back, and probably some extra because your body is smart and it wants some reserve if you decide to starve it again!

Losing weight may become a process of trial and error, but it is not Rocket Science and I know this because I've figured it out with my own body and I'm not a Rocket Scientist! Even though it's not rocket science I might add, you do need to have a bit of knowledge of how to count calories. I use sparkpeople.com to help me keep track of my calories and macros.
AND just for the record, I can lose weight by keeping my calories between 1200-1400.
Oh and one other thing you need::: DETERMINATION to stay on track and NOT CHEAT!
GOOD LUCK!

For more reading check out this article about how to get certain body parts leaned down! Again you might be surprised but it's NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!

"I AM ENOUGH" and I rocked my challenge!

Well, here's my March challenge goals reviewed:
1: no cheating.,,, FAILED, had a few coffees but no sweets, no bread
2: Body fat in abs down,,, YEP, from ave: average of 20mm to average 17mm .... YEAH!
3: Down 2 pounds, and down body fat % in four weeks! Right on!
4: BE Happy! YEP, I'm happy and "I'm Enough!"
5: I worked out 6-7 days a week. Got all my lifting wkouts in & kicked butt in the gym!

My March Goals

Goals:
1: Actually no cheat, no coffees, no sugar, eat clean for four weeks!!!!
2: Decrease fat percentage in abs from 20% to?
3: decrease pounds , or fat% by 2or more
4: be happy and satisfied with who I am and what I have
5: Do some physical activity six days a week. And stay on lifting program

New Lifting Workouts

This is were I stole my workouts from, THANK YOU BodyBuilding.com
There are actually 5 different full body plans... I started this last week with the first workout, called, "Heavy Duty to Failure!"  I will do each plan for three weeks, so I got 15 weeks of building muscle!
Here are 5 different workouts to wake up your muscles from the long winter sleep and make them grow to a curvy summer shape or competitive muscle frame. I encourage you to try them all...


http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/5_routines_for_women.htm    scroll down... ! ENJOY!

I also started  my "NoCheat" diet Friday March 1st!  It's been a long, tough weekend.  I've been a little hungry (I know my body has to feel a little hungry to reduce body fat!) and crabby with no coffee! Grrr!  But the good news is the scale is going down.... slowly buy surely!  No cheating,,, eating clean and cutting out crap is tough but it's do-able! and won't the benefits be worth it???

Week one

March #nocheatmonth challenge

Would you join me for a really fun challenge in March?? Are you on Instagram ?!? Or you could do this on Facebook. I am going to start a picture challenge on March 1st, anyone is welcome to join in the fun. So how it works is I will give you a weekly list of what the topic is for each day and you post a picture or written note! It's called the "No Cheat Month"
And the purpose of this pic challenge is to keep your focus, accountability and get inspiration! It will be a nice "portfolio" or proof of how hard you work and all your knowledge of how to be healthy! I think to be totally honest we will have to be be transparent with ourselves and with friends, but that's healthy right?!
I would suggest inviting your close friends or workout partners to join you! The more help and support the better. Feel free to forward my messages and the 4 weekly lists you will get, to your friends who want to join.
Lastly, there will be prizes for anyone who completes the entire four weeks, but in order to qualify you must have Instagram and allow me to follow you! So, go get signed up for Instagram if you're not already!
Let me know if you're "in or out" by leaving me a comment with your Instagram screen name, so I know whether to bug you or leave you alone!

Lifting weights is Recommended!!!

Why weight lift??!

Someone recently told me her friend said they should not lift weights. It might make them "bigger" and they should lose the weight first and then start lifting weights!
I completely disagree. Watch Biggest Loser? Those people have a lot of weight to lose and they are incorporating weightlifting! You can lose weight and lift weights at the same time. You are just getting healthier, stronger and more fit all at the same time!
Here are my top benefits to lifting weights:
Bone health- Studies show that lifting weights over time can help increase bone density and actually help prevent osteoporosis!

Improves strength, coordination and balance! It just does. When you lift weights over time you will become stronger, with that you will become more coordinated and have better balance. Overall strength improves a lot within your body!

The next benefit of weightlifting is overall body appearance. You can change the way your body looks by losing body fat. But you can make more drastic changes to the look of your body by increasing muscle and tone! Honestly speaking, "lifting weights takes the flab away!"

Lose body fat/weight: This is what I believe: Muscle burns more calories. Muscle ramps up your metabolism. My example of this is my own husband, who is packed full of muscle and is very lean. And granted he eats very healthy and clean and lots of protein, but he needs a lot of calories to sustain all that muscle. His metabolism is very high. His body is a fat burning machine!!!

Last but not least I believe lifting weights helps overall mood. I personally am proof of this. I use lifting weights as my outlet after a rough day. Sometimes when I miss a workout for two or three days straight, I start to get very crabby. My family even notices, and suggests, "Hey mom why don't you go workout?" I know there's also some science behind this, something to do with endorphins or something like that but I'm telling ya, from my own experience Lifting weights makes you feel better, even better than cardio. Any workout will make you feel better, But after lifting weights I walk out the door feeling strong, empowered and healthy.
I do have to add that anyone who says they don't want to get bulky and big like a man doesn't know what they're talking about. Women do not have the testosterone, do not eat enough and do not have it in their body composition to naturally get big! Unless you're taking steroids you're just going to get nice and toned!
So get after it and go lift some (heavy) weight girls!

Load Your Guns upper body workout

Load Your Guns for Gals workout 1hr max.
** =two dumbells
* = one dumbbell
Will need two sets of different weights ligher (L) set is 5-8 lbs and heavier (H) set is 10's-15's
Warmup with
** 15 standing overhead press (H)
** 10 arm circles out front (L)
** 10 arm circles - sides (L)
20 tricep bench dips, optional- set a DB on lap
** 5 standing overhead press (H)
** 15 bent over row (H)
* 10 overhead tricep extension (H)
** 15 bicep curls (H) or drop weight if needed
* 10 tricep kickbacks each arm (L)
Try to get through this whole thing without much rest!
REPEAT all one more time!
Then do 20-30 mins of cardio! You rock!!!

Lotsa Protein shakes this week!

I really miss the yummy drinks! The vanilla almond was the most delicious thing ever! I am having a hard time eating healthy this week! I'm cutting calories a bit and just haven't had much of an appetite for healthy stuff, so it's just been lots of protein shakes!!! Well, Lord knows I love my protein shakes!

Drinking the juice!

My first Juice fast intro... more to come

So after some research I decided to do a juice fast from the company Urban Remedy!  I initially wanted to by my own juicer, but the one I wanted was $400.00 and I was worried I wouldn't have time to juice 50lbs of fruits and vegetables plus clean my juicer! Call me lazy but I decided my first juice fast experience I should pay the extra money for someone else to do the work for me (and extra for shipping $32.00!) 

I read a lot of review and chose Urban Remedy mostly because they had high ratings in taste, customer service and effectiveness!



drinkin' juice at work!



New Years Goals to lose weight! This is a MUST read!

Read "It's Not Rocket Science" to find out how easy losing weight can be. Click HERE.

Where have I been???

Where have I been you ask??? And why have I been neglecting my blog? 
The answer- one word "Exhaustion!"
No, seriously, when school started I have just been so busy trying to keep my new "go getter" principal happy, run my kids here and there, be the good lil' wife that I am and still get about six workouts in a week.  The holidays were very crazy for us this year.  It seemed more so this year than previous years.  I guess that was all the Christmas parties and lots of Christmases with different groups of our family. 

Anyway,,, excuses, excuses,,, but the good thing is that since September, the only thing I've really neglected, from being so busy, are my two hobbies: Scrapbookin' and blogin'!  I'm proud to say, I've keep up on my crazy workout schedule and therefore I'm feeling stronger and stronger every month!

So to my three loyal blog readers- I sincerely apologize for my lack of commitment these last few months.   Now that it is January, my New Year's Resolution is to make a blog entry at least once a week!  WISH ME LUCK!

Hope you all are having a wonderful start to your new year... I hope you are setting some goals of some great things you want to accomplish in 2013!  Make it a great year!~ and be blessed!