Beating the Holiday Weight Gain

It's that time of year again.  When it's gets colder outside and our social and family calendar gets even more full.  Our stress levels are raised with all that we are expected to achieve and how much money we may be spending on this season.  We get invited to cocktail parties, holiday cookie exchanges, family dinners with rich foods, we are out shopping so we eat out more and just indulge way more this month that we typically would.

Let's stop this madness!  We can actually make it through and enjoy the holidays without having to gain weight or be overly stressed!  It really can happen.  Am I saying that you have to be super strict on your diet and cannot enjoy anyone's company?  No, absolutely not.  I am going to challenge you to look at this season a bit differently.

When looking at all that your are invited to, decide what's really important to attend and what you really want to attend.  You don't have to attend everything!  Clearing a little time on your calendar to spend time with the people you really want to spend time with, or even just alone time is a great stress reliever.  When it comes to gifts, set a budget and stick to it.  There is no reason to go into debt for Christmas.  Honestly, I'm fairly certain your family and friends don't want that for you either.

Workout!  It's pretty simple really!  Working out is a great stress reliever.  Get in what you can on 5 or more days per week.  You don't have to go crazy and do long grueling workouts,  You just need to move!  If you need accountability, get a workout buddy or coach who will keep you motivated!

When attending a holiday party, eat a little something before you do,  If you show up super hungry, you will eat and most likely eat more than you anticipated.  Eat something healthy and fiber filled. That will help you feel full and eat less.  When it comes to drinking, make certain you have water between alcoholic beverages.  You will take in less calories and will wake up the next morning feeling much better!

Remember that this is the season for spending time with your family and friends, for showing them how much you love and appreciate them.  Take the time to enjoy the conversations, to catch up with people you don't often get to see, to celebrate the relationships you cherish.  Stay focused on where you want to be and you will get there.

Enjoy this special season!

Consistency

Today's post is about something that I need to work on myself, consistency. Consistency is a noun that means a steadfast adherence to the same principals, course, form, etc.

In order to truly be successful in anything, we have to be consistent with our effort.  Most of us don't get to where we want to be in life by sometimes doing the things we need to do.  Sadly, many people don't get where they want to be because they are either unwilling to try that hard or to scared to go for it.

To be good parents, we have to be consistent with our discipline, rules and expectations.  To get or stay out of debt we have to consistently pay our bills on time and spend less money than we actually have coming in.  To save money, we have to consistently put money into savings, decide on an amount per week or month to get to where we want to be.  To lose weight or become more fit, we consistently have to eat well and exercise.  It doesn't work if sometimes I eat well and other days I eat fast food and lay on the couch.  If you want a raise or to be noticed as a great worker, you have to consistently be doing a great job, doing more than what you were asked of.  If some days you came in and did a great job and other days were a total slacker, do you think that promotion would come any sooner?  No.  To truly get where we want to be in life takes consistent behaviors.   Can we sometimes fall off and still succeed?  I believe that yes we can.  We just can't fall too far for too long.

Decide what you want in life, figure out what you need to do to get there, then be consistent about those activities, behaviors, attitudes, etc.  You will eventually go where you want to go.
Don't give up when it gets hard, that's when you need to dig deep and push even harder.  That is where the true benefits are.

This philosophy certainly related to your health and fitness, but it should be applied to all aspects of life; relationships, career, etc.  

This is something I am certainly needing to work on, perhaps this reminder will help you too!

Thanksgiving - How to survive

As I am sitting here putting together my Thanksgiving menu, I am thinking about how this Holiday is the highest caloric intake day in this country.  My advice for Thanksgiving is to allow yourself to indulge.  This is a day about giving thanks, about being with the people you love and sharing a meal together.  You should be a part of that.  You should enjoy that time with everyone and with food.

So, how can we survive it without going too crazy.  Here are my tips for a successful Thanksgiving:

Workout in the morning if possible.  A great workout will make eating all that food seem so much better.  There are so many Turkey Trots and runs that your family members could partake as well.  Gyms are always open Thanksgiving morning for that reason, to give people a chance to get a good workout in before the big feast!  Push play on your favorite workout program, whatever it is do something.  If you feel pressed for time, I can share with you a 15 or 20 minute workout that will be perfect.  Also, try to workout the day before.  The more calories you burn, the better you will feel about adding in more.

Eat a decent breakfast before you attend the big meal.  I know people want to not eat at all that day and save it up, but really you are doing yourself no good by putting your metabolism on hold.  If your metabolism is at a steady pace, you will be able to burn those calories off faster and won't eat as much. 

Drink water before and during the meal.  Water will make you feel more full and you will eat a bit less.

If you are making a meal or dish, make something that isn't loaded with a ton of fat or calories.  Roasted sweet potatoes are delicious; roasted root vegetables with a little olive oil, sea salt, pepper and some herbs; a mixed green salad, mashed potatoes made with chicken broth instead of butter.  There are so many options for delicious sides beyond stuffing, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.  Be creative!

If possible go for a walk with some of your family members after the meal.  This will aid in digestion and just help you burn that food faster.  Or instead of plopping own in front a TV to watch football, play a game as a family. If it's active great, if not, just doing something together that involves more than just sitting, napping and eating will be great for all of you.

Enjoy yourself.  Give thanks for all of the good in your life.  Be grateful for where you currently are on your fitness journey and know that one day won't do too much damage.

Breaking Through That Plateau

I'm stuck.  I was doing so well and now I cannot get the scale to move.  The number won't budge.  My body is just stuck where I'm at.  Sound familiar?  That's called the dreadful word when working out, plateau. 

A plateau period is simply your body taking a break and catching up to all the changes you have been making.  It's not that you really aren't making any more progress, it's that your body has finally caught up to the changes you have made.  So, in order to shorten the life of this plateau, you have to make more changes.  If you've been cutting calories, it may be time to increase by 200-300 a day.  If you've been doing the same routine, it's time to mix it up.  If you've been heavy on the cardio, it's time to add strength training.  If you've been doing strength training and are at the higher level of repetitions, it's time to go heavier on the weights and decrease the repetitions.  If you've been killing it with weights, now you need to add a cardio component. 

Look at your nutrition.  If you've cut way back on carbs and don't have a lot of energy, start adding them in (a little).  That should help with the energy level.  Maybe you are over-training.  Are you getting the rest and break that your body needs?  Vary your workouts and the intensity of them.  Take a rest day at least once per week.  If you feel like you cannot "rest" then do yoga or take a walk.  Giving your body a break is needed to recover and perform at its best.

These don't have to be big changes, just some minor adjustments to get your body guessing again and you will plow through that plateau and start seeing and feeling the results again.  If you don't know how to change things up, ask a professional.  Ask a trainer, a fitness coach, someone who understands what you are currently doing who can give you guidance on how to mix it up just enough to get you where you want to go.

Be patient with your body, if you continue to work toward your goals, you will reach them!

Is Lack of Sleep and Stress Sabotaging Your Weightloss Goals?

We've all been guilty of not getting enough sleep and that feeling of being overwhelmed and truly stressed out.  I have clients who are doing all of the right things, eating well and exercising, and the results are slow or the belly fat is just hanging on, but the definition is coming to the arms and legs.  Most likely the cause is either too much stress or not enough sleep and often it's the combination of the two.  There is a direct link between the fight or flight hormone that's released (Cortisol) and visceral (belly) fat.  When cortisol levels are high for an extended amount of time in can also increase your belly fat.  Seriously!!  Unfortunately, for some people all this hard work and little effort causes them to stress even more!  When you are stressed, you don't sleep well, causing the entire cycle to just keep repeating.

Okay, so now what?  You have a stressful job, day, life, I get it.  How can you reduce the amount of stress in your life?  Learn to delegate.  In your job and at home, ask people to help with or take care of the things you don't need to do yourself.  No, you really don't need to do everything!  Enlist your kids to help with chores, enlist your spouse to help with cooking or shopping.  Ask a co-worker for some help on a project, or ask your boss for a little more time so that you can do the best job possible.  I do understand that you get asked to take on more and more at work, but you truly can say no.  If you open the lines of communication with your boss (keep it about work, not outside of work) and explain the project load you are already under.  Come up with a plan to extend the deadline, take something off of your plate, or shift responsibilities.  Your boss would be much happier with that opening conversation than coming to them later when everything has fallen apart, or stating that you couldn't make x, y or z happen.

Take a walk.  Exercise is a great stress reducer.  Even a 10 minute walk will help you clear your mind and you'll be able to refocus your energy, as well as boost your happiness levels!

Our electronic devises are huge stressors for us.  We love them, but they also allow the impression that we are always working or available to others.  Turn them off or on silent on the drive home, during dinner time, and after whatever time you've decided that you no longer should be working.  For me, it was 6:30 pm.  I turned my phone to silent so I could actually be present and enjoy the moments with my family.

Sleep is another big thing we don't get enough of.  Try turning in a half hour earlier. Maybe don't sleep, but read a book or write your to-do list for the next day.  Spend a few moments being grateful for the good things that happened today.  If you get in the habit of putting yourself to bed earlier, your body will adjust and you'll be able to fall asleep sooner too!

I know it's hard, but reducing the stress in your life and getting more sleep is going to make you feel better, be healthier and look better in that bathing suit!

Tips for Avoiding Stress or Boredom Eating

I hear it all the time, "I know how to eat right, but I eat when I'm stressed/bored."  That's what derails me.  I get it, I really do.  I know how quickly one can go through a bag of chips, candy, cookies, even "healthier" items like pretzels, popcorn, nuts and dried fruits.  It can add up pretty quick and create some major caloric damage. 
We all have stress.  These are stressful times when we are urged to do more with less, take on more, be everywhere, and look perfect, have super clean organized homes, etc.  It's all overwhelming!!!
And, as crazy busy as some of us are, we do get bored.  Maybe not like, there isn't something to do, but we are bored with what we have to do.
So how can we stop this stress/boredom binging.

First, take a deep breath!  If you can, go for a quick walk.  Sometimes getting outside changes your perspective, allows you to think, gives you something to do.  Call a friend.  If you are stressed about something call or message a friend to release what's stressing you.  This also works great if you are bored!  If you are bored, look at your to-do list, is there anything you can do right now?  Do a chore you don't mind doing.  I personally like to vacuum.  Don't know why, but I find it peaceful.  Stressed?  Meditate.  Seriously, close your eyes for a few minutes and just breath.  A solution may or may not come to you, but you will feel better.
Drink water.  Sometimes having something will help curb the, I need to eat feeling, and more often than not, you need more water anyway. 
Write.  Write down on a piece of paper what is stressing you out and think of some conclusions to make it better.  If you are bored, write about what you want to do, your goals, dreams, etc.  Sometimes being create is the best medicine.
Read, if you have a good book, read it.  If not, find one, I'm currently reading a great one called The Slight Edge, fascinating book, that I highly recommend, but that's for another day.

Don't keep junk in your house!  If you really must eat, have cut up veggies and hummus, fruit, frozen grapes if you need something to crunch on.  If you know you have trigger foods, don't have them in your house.  Honestly, your family will get over it and it will be better for them too.

Have kitchen hours.  Seriously, like a restaurant.  Kitchen's closed for certain hours a day and really close it up at night.  Once you get into the habit, it is much easier to keep.

My point is, we all have stress and we all feel a little bored at times.  Find outlets other than food and you will feel better all the way around!

Prepare to Fail

Prepare to fail, that may seem like a strange concept, but let me expand on that.  Life gets crazy, complicated, busy. etc.  What we mean to do, we don't always get to.  We plan on getting a healthy dinner, but the meeting ran long at work, you were late getting kids to soccer, practice was extra long and now you are all tired and hungry and the drive-through is looking pretty good now.  Sound familiar?

When it comes to health and fitness, look at your weak areas. Is it making time to workout?  Is it snacking?  Is it not planning a dinner so you're eating out?  Where do you tend to fail?  If you look at those areas where you have failed before and plan to do so again, you can actually plan to succeed.  For example, if you tend to get a snack because you are hungry while running errands and the Starbucks coffee and treat calls to you; you can plan by having snacks in your car - nuts, dried fruit, low sugar protein bars, etc., and a bottle of water.  If you have something to eat and drink, you most likely will think before you stop to get a snack.

If dinner is your trouble spot, get to know your crock-pot.  You can prepare (yes it takes a little time) your meal the night before, put everything in the crock-pot, store in the refrigerator, then take it out and turn on the crock pot in the morning.  You'll have dinner ready and save money (not to mention calories) by not eating out.  There are tons of healthy and delicious slow-cooker or crock-pot recipes online.  

If making time for your workouts is where you fail, schedule them like an appointment.  If you say at some point today I am going to workout, that's pretty much setting yourself up to fail.  Instead, look at your day and figure out when you have time (and I truly believe everyone has time) to get in a workout.  Block that time out and make it happen.  Move things around that aren't that important. Truly, what's more important than your health and your sanity?

If you plan in the areas that you typically fail in, you will most likely set yourself up to succeed.  

Tips For Long Term Success

I love this picture because it's funny and it's true.  It's a simple concept, but it isn't always that easy.  Yes, there are plenty of ways to lose weight quickly.  A plethora of fad diets, weight loss pills, temporary starvation, etc.  The problem is, when you go off of these things, you typically gain all the weight back and then some.  If you really want to take the pounds off or get healthy, you have to change the mindset of a quick fix.  It takes small changes over time and to be honest, some work on your part.  Here are my best tips:

• Keep track of everything you eat.  Everything!  How do you know what to cut out if you don't really know what you are eating?  Yes, the time you grab a handful of M&Ms, or reach into the candy jar at work, or the handful or nuts or pretzels.  It all adds up and you need to get a clear picture of your intake.  Keep it in a journal and write down how you are feeling.  This comes into play more when you snack and late night eating.  Are you bored, stressed, emotional?  This is important to know what your habits are and understanding your triggers.
• Don't give everything up all at once!  Please don't say, come Monday (it's always Monday), I'm giving up sugar and carbs and fried foods and soda, etc.  You are setting yourself up to fail and be completely miserable.  Take one of your unhealthy options and remove it for a week or two, then slowly add another.  We are instant gratification people, we want it all right now and when we cannot have any of it, we're pretty damn unhappy.  One or two things at a time so you don't feel completely deprived.
• Along the lines of keeping track of things, there are so many devices and apps to help you keep track.  Yes, it's cumbersome to put it all into a system, but seeing the results is so worth it.  With a FitBit, Jawbone and Apps like MyFitnessPal, etc., you can see how many calories you ate, how much of that was protein, carbs, fat, etc.  That's important information to have.  Plus these will track your steps, your calories burned.  The bigger and more complete your picture is, the better you can understand your own habits and what you need to change to improve.
• Don't become an intense exerciser if you are starting from no exercise at all.  I see people do it all the time, they are ready to do something, so they join a gym or start running or whatever it is, and go hard every day for five days straight.  Then, they are sore and tired and it hurts, and a little break turns into a week, into two, etc.  If you haven't moved, start slowly.  Start walking, join a gym and get some help and guidance as to where to start.  Most people in the fitness industry want you to have long-term success so they are going to want you to stick with it, and will guide you accordingly.  Be patient with your body and let it get the rest it needs along with a new program.
• Find or create a support system.  The more people you have supporting you, the more successful you will be.  This can be friends, family members, a trainer, a coach, etc.  Anyone who is going to help hold you accountable and not let you give up, is who you want on your team!
• Cut yourself some slack.  Be kind to yourself.  Unless you truly gained your unwanted weight in a few weeks or a month, don't expect it all to come off that quickly either.

Supplements - What's Needed an What's Not

What's CLA and which fat burner do you recommend?  Do I need a pre-workout and recovery formula?  These are some of the questions I am asked on a regular basis and here are my views on the subject.
First, you cannot out supplement a bad diet.  If you eat a crappy diet, it really doesn't matter how many supplements or vitamins you take, your main source of fuel is crap, and your body will feel it.
Here is a breakdown of what everyone should have:

• Multivitamin - most Americans don't get the nutrients we need from food on a daily basis, so a multivitamin can fill in the areas we are missing.  This is not a substitution for eating well, just an accomplice.
• Omega 3s or Fish Oil - The human body cannot make Omega 3 fatty acids, so we typically need to supplement  here.  This is good for blood pressure and lowering triglyceride levels, as well as aiding in healthy joints.  Of course, you can get this through your diet with cold water fish, walnuts and flax seed oil, but again most of us don't, so supplements are needed.
• Probiotics - We all do things that compromise our immune system and digestive system, be it stress, our diets or just being in germ-filled areas.  70% of your immune system lives in your digestive tract, so having a healthy digestive system means having a healthier you. Probiotics are the  good guys that help you have healthy intestinal function and digestion.
• Protein - If you are trying to lose weight or build muscle, added protein will aid in the process.  A protein powder is an easy way to add protein and most protein powders have far less calories per serving for the amount of protein than you would find in food.  Find a formula that has the least amount of "junk" possible and that you like the taste of, as there are many options to choose from.
• Calcium - especially for women to help prevent osteoporosis.  Calcium is to large a nutrient to put 100% recommendation in a multivitamin so an extra supplement is wise if you don't get calcium through your diet.

As far as pre-workout or recovery formulas, it really depends on your workouts.  If you are working out for a long duration or very intensely, then yes I recommend adding something to help give you the energy to get through the workout and recover, especially from a heavy lifting session.  A CLA, stands for Conjugated Linoleic Acid and it can help to reduce body fat, so it is used by body builders trying to get lean and those trying to lose weight.  Again, this isn't for everyone and not needed by most.  

I personally take more supplements listed than what is listed above because I have specific issues I am addressing.  I would always follow your physicians recommendations, a nutritionist or your trainer/coach on what they are recommending for your specific goals and programs.

Staying on Track When Eating Out

Let's face it, most of us eat out, and that's when things get off track for many of us. It's the American way to spend family dinners or work-day lunches, at a restaurant.  

So here are some tips that have served me well when eating out.

• Avoid establishments where you have too many temptations for unhealthy options.  Try a new place instead, you may find your new favorite place!
• If you know ahead of time where you are going, spend a few minutes looking at their menu online.  That way you can choose a healthy option before you get there and get overwhelmed by what looks good or smells good at tables near you.
• Order off the light menu, most places have some light options
• Instead of ordering an appetizer and an entree, or an appetizer and a salad. It's typically enough food, as many places offer entree portions that count as two servings.
• Swap out an unhealthy side (such as mashed potatoes) for a healthier option like veggies or a side salad.
• When ordering a salad, what's in and on your salad really matters.  Adding unhealthy ingredients to a salad negates the healthy benefits.  Avoid creamy dressings, croutons and fried meats.  Make certain there are plenty of veggies and good fat sources such as nuts or avocados and lean proteins.
• If you choose to have alcohol, keep in mind your calories.  Wine and light beer or skinny drinks are better options than many of the sugary concoctions that places offer.  Juices, creams, and flavored liqueurs add unnecessary calories. (Yes, these are my favorite drinks too)!
• If you really want an "unhealthy" option, go for it and don't feel bad about it. Just make certain you don't always go that route. 

Life should be fun and you should truly enjoy it.  If you make healthy choices every day (maybe not all day long), you are on your way to living a healthy life!