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New Year Goals

At the stroke of midnight, everyone makes New Year goals, but few people carry them out. It’s time for you to be part of the few that do change their life for the better. It’s time to make some lifestyle changes that will keep you fit and healthy for the rest of your life. Lifestyle changes include everything from becoming more active and exercising regularly to quitting smoking. They also include learning to eat healthier and make smarter choices when it comes to food. Most people start with a program of regular exercise and healthier eating to prepare themselves to achieve more difficult goals, like smoking cessation.

I will help you on your quest for a healthier you.

Losing weight is often a key goal most people have. You’ll be amazed that when you combine a healthy diet with regular exercise just quickly you’ll shed weight. However, before we start any program, I have to know where you’re starting, what you want to achieve and the path to take along the way. I assess your overall fitness, including identifying all types of fitness levels, such as flexibility, strength and endurance, while also locating weaker muscle groups. Only then do I create a program that will help you reach your goals.

Nobody said getting fit will be easy.

You’ll work hard, there’s no doubt about that, but in return you’ll see results faster. There will be times you want to quit, but I’ll be there to encourage and before you know it, you’ll see the results of your labors, so you won’t need my encouragement any more. As your level of fitness improves, I’ll adjust your program to reflect that improvement so you’ll always be working your hardest.

Eating healthy isn’t dieting.

Dieting simply doesn’t work. By it’s very nature, it always ends and then you go back to the same eating habits that put on weight in the first place. Eating healthy means making smarter choices to reduce caloric intake and increase nutritional levels. It may be as simple as making food substitutions, such as yogurt dips with fresh veggies rather than sour cream ones with chips. It might mean changing the way you cook or what you order at a fast food place. People often eat the same foods out of habit, not necessarily because they love them. If you do have foods you love, you can still eat it, but in smaller, less frequent amounts.

You’ll burn off the hormones of stress when you workout. That’s a huge side benefit. It can keep you healthier, make you feel better and clear your head in the process.

You’ll sleep sounder at night when you workout. A good night’s sleep is good for both the heart and your weight. It helps keep you from grabbing sugary treats for snacks.

You’ll feel fantastic. Not only will you feel healthier, burn stress hormones, but exercise also stimulates the brain to create hormones that make you feel good.

You’ll have the strength and confidence to make other lifestyle changes. Several studies found that exercise and a healthy diet can even help people conquer addiction.



Be More Adventurous

Be More Adventurous

In order to get the most out of your life you need to be more adventurous. Having a sense of adventure doesn’t necessarily mean you go into jungles in search of the Holy grail or take risks with your health. Quite the contrary. It means you look at alternatives to solve problems, whether it’s fitness or pain, there are a lot of ways to approach the problem. If you’ve always used the same exercises for fitness, it’s time to break out of the rut. If you’re idea of coping with pain is to take pain medication, you might want to rethink that method and opt for ones that truly solve the problem rather than mask it.

Shaking up your workout program can help you shed fat faster.

There’s a reason personal trainers vary fitness programs. It’s because the body becomes efficient. Efficiency may be a good thing if you’re at work, and help you get more done while expending less energy. However, when the body does it, it means you burn fewer calories. That’s counterproductive to goals and actually causes plateauing. Trainers work you hard with a variety of exercises that not only prevent the body from becoming efficient, they take the boredom out of the workout.

If you’re dealing with pain, look beyond prescription or over the counter drugs and attack the problem at the source.

Whether it’s chiropractic care, therapeutic massage or other type of technique that deals directly with the problem. These non-invasive techniques can help you eliminate pain, not just mask it. It means you’ll be free of constant pain pills and the overwhelming exhaustion of pain. It takes a while, but well worth the effort to finally be pain free. It’s worth the effort to step out of the box and take a chance on new methods of pain control.

Eating healthier can be a great adventure.

Too often people are stuck in the same old rut when it comes to the food they eat. In many cases, these are convenience foods that are readily available, so eating them is a habit, not necessarily based on the food’s flavor. You’ll be amazed at how tasty healthy eating can be and how easy it is to eat healthy no matter where you go. It’s all about making smarter choices and becoming a bit more adventurous with your eating habits. Most people find the adventure is well worth the effort, since the food tastes good and helps you shed pounds fast without dieting.

Being adventurous with your workout or even being adventurous enough to start one can help you build energy to enjoy all that life has to offer.

A great workout can be exciting and fun. There are so many ways to approach fitness that you’ll never be bored and will look forward to going to the gym.

Watch your mood improve when you challenge your body. Not only does the workout burn hormones of stress, but also stimulates the creation of hormones that make you feel good.

Whether it’s working out, pain relief, healthy eating or any other facet of life, trying something new can create a sense of adventure that makes life worth living.


You Are What You Eat

Knowing the right foods to choose for a healthier life and maximum weight loss may not seem that difficult, but you’ll be amazed at just how bad some seemingly innocent popular foods are for you and how they can prevent you from shedding those extra pounds. What you eat does make a difference in not only your weight, but also your overall health. Banana chips and granola or energy bars may seem healthy, but that’s not always so. Some granola/energy bars are loaded with sugar and banana chips are fried, with fewer nutrients of a fresh banana.

Choosing healthy foods means never having to diet again.

Or as Ali MacGraw from “Love Story” might say, “Eating the right foods means never having to say your sorry.” Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch, but it is true. When you make smart food choices, your body thanks you with a healthy weight and plenty of energy. Processed foods are not on that list. The closer you come to whole foods, foods with very little processing, the better off you are. Whole foods contain more vitamins, such they aren’t destroyed by heat from cooking. They provide fewer hidden ingredients, especially if they’re organic. (Some of the hidden ingredients in some non-organic fruits and veggies may be pesticides.) You can eat as much as you like when you’re eating whole foods. It’s hard to eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables to put on any weight.

What you drink makes a huge difference.

Stop immediately before you reach for your next can of soda. Pop is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to poor nutrition. It’s sugar water with flavoring. Even fruit juice can be a little bit of an enemy, since much of the bulk and fiber is removed, so you have to drink more before filling up on it. It also is missing the bulk that helps slow the absorption of the sugar in the fruit in your intestines. Even in a smoothie, where you put the whole fruit and vegetable in the blender, you may be getting all the vitamins, but not nearly the same satisfaction or feeling of satiety. While smoothies are better than juice and juice is 1000 times better than carbonated drinks, water is probably the best drink for you if you’re trying to shed extra pounds.

You need fat in your diet.

Too often people cut out all fat when they diet, even healthy fat. That’s not good nutrition. Healthy fat has a lot to offer. It keeps you feeling full longer, promotes good metabolism, aids in the absorption of vitamins and is good for the heart. Avocados, salmon, real butter (particularly from grass fed cows) and coconut oil are examples of healthy fat that actually aids in weight loss and makes your body healthier.

Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, but get a broad mix of colors. A simple way to insure you’re getting all they phytonutrients and vitamins and minerals from fresh fruits and vegetables is to insure you have a broad mix of colors.

Learn to cook foods differently. When you steam vegetables instead of boil them, more of the nutrients stay in the veggies. Baked or grilled meat is always better than fried.

Learn to make substitutions in cooking. Some of the fat or sugar in baked goods can be replaced with unsweetened applesauce.

Find lower calorie substitutions. If you want the richness of sour cream, but with fewer calories, use Greek yogurt instead. There are hundreds of small changes and substitutions you can make to lower calories, but get the same flavor.



Fight The Holiday Blues

fight-holiday-bluesIf you have to fight the holiday blues, you’re not only missing much of the enjoyment, you also probably dread the coming of the season. The holiday blues can occur for a number of reasons. With days getting shorter and chillier, getting out for a day in the sun is often not an option. That may lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder—SAD. One of the reasons for the depression, besides the lack of sunshine, is a lower amount of vitamin D that sunshine helps the body create.

Eat for a healthier mental attitude.

A healthy diet is important to preventing depression, but some foods are actually better than others to help lift your spirits. Even though sugary treats may be comfort foods, they will only lift you up for a while and then body slam your emotions back into the ground. Walnuts and cashews contain Omega-3 fatty acids that can help lift your spirits and improve brain health. High fiber carbohydrates such as whole wheat breads, as well as green tea can help make you feel good too. Turmeric spice is an antidepressant. Foods high in vitamin D and B complex are important to a healthier mental attitude.

Exercise for relief.

Exercise is a stress buster and can help you relax, but it also can stimulate the body to create natural anti-depressants. After exercise burns off the hormones from stress, such as cortisol, it causes the production of dopamine, endorphins and serotonin. Endorphins make you relax, raise your pain threshold and makes you feel good. Serotonin is often called the happiness hormone. Dopamine improves your mental alertness.

Treat yourself to a wrap, massage or aromatherapy.

All three of these things will help lift your spirits. Massages help eliminate pain and relaxes you, taking away anxiety in the process. Saunas can supply heat therapy to alleviate adrenal fatigue syndrome, while wraps embrace your body and help detox it. All of these therapies go hand in hand with aromatherapy, by integrating the essential oil into the massage, sauna or wrap. You’ll be treating yourself to a relaxing time, which will lift your spirits, lower anxiety and help you enjoy the holiday time more.

Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep can cause depression even if it isn’t a holiday. Exercise can help you sleep better at night.

Stick to your routine or add to it. You may feel like staying at home under the covers, but that only makes depression worse.

Volunteer to help others. Doing something positive to make someone else’s life better can be so rewarding it can lift you from depression. You’ll not only be doing something for someone else, you’ll be making yourself feel good in the process.

Have fun with a friend. Whether you workout with them in the gym, go shopping with them or just have a cup of coffee, good friends and good conversation are important to lifting you out of a holiday funk.


Best Thanksgiving

Best Thanksgiving

You can make this your best Thanksgiving yet by starting now with a program of healthy eating and regular exercise. It’s not too late to get into better shape for the holidays. Even after two weeks, you’ll notice a huge difference in your energy level and how your clothing fits. You’ll look better and feel better, too. You’ll get a head start on learning what foods to eat at the holiday table and even how to make your favorites a little healthier.

If you’ve been exercising and eating healthy, you’ll be ready for the holidays.

Thanksgiving means food and lots of it. Some of the food is superb in both nutritional value and flavor. Others simply aren’t. Luckily, once you know which is which, you can load your plate with healthy low calorie foods and use the higher calorie ones for trimmings. That’s right, you can still eat those mashed potatoes and a little bit of gravy, just not a Santa Ana mountain size serving. You’ll know exactly what to eat and enjoy every minute of it, while grazing constantly on the vegetable plate and other healthy foods for snacks.

If you’ve just started program, you’ll be amazed at how your self image rises.

While you might not see all the results you want, just knowing you’re talking a fitness issue can give you an improved self image. Feeling comfortable in your own skin is a treat that not everyone has the pleasure of enjoying. That extra bit of confidence goes a long way to making your day far more fun and the best Thanksgiving yet.

Start your day off right.

No matter how busy you are, make the time to eat a healthy breakfast and exercise before you go over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house or have family and friends knocking at your door. That short 30 minute walk or workout can burn off the stress hormones and help you relax and enjoy the rest of the day. The breakfast will give you extra energy to accomplish all your tasks with time to spare.

It’s time to find the perfect healthy food to take to a family celebration if it’s pot luck. You’ll dazzle them with flavor and know that the food is healthier than anyone would guess. Start trying new recipes to find the one your like.

Make sure you take your time eating so your brain has time to receive the signal that your body is full. Get involved with others at the dinner and spend more time talking while you eat or simply eat slow and savor each bite slowly.

Drink extra water throughout the day and avoid alcoholic beverages. If you drink a glass of wine with the meal, take very small sips to make it last longer.

Portion control is extremely important. Put small portions on your plate, filling in the gap with salad or vegetables. You can always ask for seconds if you’re still hungry.



Who Inspires You

Everyone has somebody that inspires them. It might be a person who has accomplished a great deal in his or her life or someone that overcame great odds. Inspiration also comes from kind words of encouragement and belief in you. Sometimes mothers come to me and want to lose weight. Their reasons vary but often it’s so they can make their children proud of them and not ashamed at how heavy they’ve become. While it’s sad, it also is extremely motivating too.

Find the person who inspires you by their great deeds.

If you have a favorite character from history or know somebody that has overcome great odds, handicaps or suffering but relentless continued on toward their goal, you can use that person for inspiration when you workout. I have a friend whose sister died several times in the hospital and was revived, but because of neglect at a constant care facility,was told she’d never walk again. In fact, they never even exercised her muscles as she lay in bed for months recovering. She finally got to go home, but with someone stopping in daily. She spent every waking hour determined to walk and she reached her goal. Her gait is slow, but she’s mobile. My friend uses her story each time she feels like quitting and it keeps her going.

As a parent, you want to take care of your children and be there for important times.

Some parents want their children to be proud of them and not ashamed of their excess weight and that can be pretty motivating. However, parents also want to see their children and grandchildren grow up, too. If you’re extremely out of shape, the chances of that happening become less and that can become a powerful motivating force to help you change.

Get a supportive group around you.

Even though you may have friends and family for support, sometimes they simply don’t understand how hard sticking with a program of exercise and a healthy diet can be. That’s why working out with a group can help. Each person in the group, whether it’s an actual group like boot camp or just some people you formed friendships with when working out, can help inspire you when you need it the most.

As a personal trainer, I don’t like to say I inspire people, but I can help motivate them so they are inspired by their own success.

While you should always undertake a workout program for you, not for someone else, having a person that acts as your inspiration can help you become more successful.

When you consider people who have overcome great odds to achieve a goal, remember, they didn’t get there all at once but took small steps that gradually increased to larger steps and gains.

Always remember, you can achieve any goal with the right type of attitude and perseverance.


Get The Body You Want

Get the Body You Want

If the body you want is trimmer, has more endurance and strength and moves with grace, it’s available! You don’t have to settle for less than the best possible you when you have the right type of training to help you achieve your fitness goals. Some people may say, “Hey, that’s not true. I’ve always wanted to be taller.” Well, guess what, that’s possible too. You see, when you workout and build muscle tissue, you don’t GROW taller, but your posture improves to the point you’ll be taller. That gives a whole new meaning to the words, “walking tall.”

Start where you are.

That might seem too simple, but it is one of the hardest concepts for most people to understand and one of the reasons personal trainers are so important. Unless you’re very familiar with overall fitness, identifying your own level of fitness is difficult and then it’s only in broad terms. If you don’t know where your starting, setting up a program to get to the next level can be difficult, but not impossible. I put that only because I don’t ever want to discourage people from working out even if they don’t have a personal trainer. A personal trainer makes it easier and gets results faster, so it’s better, but any kind of exercises is good.

Achieve the most in the least amount of time.

You don’t have to workout for hours at a time to get results. In fact, one study shows that even moderate exercise for over two hours straight can cause the body to release stress hormones, such as cortisol, which make weight loss more difficult. It’s recommended that working out between 30-45 minutes is best. When you work with a personal trainer, the trainer can often accomplish in thirty minutes or less of the right type of exercise, as much benefit as most people accomplish in 45 minutes or more. Saving time is always important in today’s busy world.

You’ll get the curves, muscles or sleek lines you want because trainers know which exercises work best to achieve your particular goal.

As a trainer, I never have done a one-size-fits-all type of program with my people. Each person is assessed and treated as a special individual with special and different needs. The programs you’ll work on with a trainer are aimed specifically at trouble spots, while giving the entire body a thorough workout.

You’ll learn how to eat healthier when you work with a personal trainer. Eating healthier isn’t dieting. Diets end. Eating healthier is a lifestyle change that means you’ll never have to diet again.

Trainers get results faster. Getting results quickly helps you stick with program and that is one of the keys to success.

You’ll be held accountable for your success. It’s just too easy to skip a workout when you’re on your own, working with a trainer keeps you more accountable until working becomes part of your daily routine.

You’ll feel fantastic as you work toward looking your best. You get more than just a great body from working out even if you’re not trying. You get more energy, better health, more endurance and will be burning stress hormones in the process.