Turkey Trot Challenge

Gobble Gobble!

My workout challenge to you this week is to complete your own turkey trot race and post your time or your turkey trot workout on face book or leave a comment on here.  If you are having trouble coming up with the distance then follow the below.

Run/Walk your fastest two miles and post. 

Circuit Training



Modifed burpees! YAY!



Circuit Training is a workout routine that combines cardiovascular fitness and resistance training. It was first proposed in the late 1950s as a method to develop general fitness. The initial routines were arranged in a circle, alternating between different muscle groups (hence the name circuit training).

Depending on your current fitness level or the amount of time you have, do the following exercises one after the next with as little rest as possible. 

1. Squat Jumps
2. Push ups
3. Walking Lunges
4. Plank
5. Burpees
6. Chair/floor dips
7. Mt. Climbers
8. Superman
9. Crab Crawl (forward and back)
10. Rest 90 seconds and then...REPEAT :-)

 ***Look at Google image for pictures of exercises***

How to modify:

1. Squat Jumps – Don’t jump…just squat
2. Push ups – Do from the knees
3. Alternate forward lunges
4. Plank –take breaks by putting knees down
5. Burpees – Same great move but with NO jumping
6. Tricep dips – I recommend coming from a chair and taking breaks
7. Mt. Climbers – Don’t jump, rather walk feet up and back
8. Superman – Keep closer to head
9. Crab crawl – take breaks when needed

Depending on your fitness level, I would start out with 30 seconds or about 15 reps for each exercise.  If you are a beginner only go through once.  Intermediate, twice.  Advance three to four times through.  As you improve, start doing each exercise for 45 seconds working your way up to one minute. 

Tricep dips!  Double Yay!!

'Tis the Season for Eating!

I found a humorous Holiday Eating Tips online and giggled to myself until I started to think about how this is what truly goes on!  I thought I would start this blog post by sharing three funny, yet true tips with you.

1. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog
2. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
3. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

The eight week stretch from Halloween to New Years that is filled with more social gatherings, parties, and food than any other time of the year.  Each year we know it is coming...yet have we planned out how we are going to handle temptations?  I'm not saying, don't enjoy yourself, but make sure what you are putting in that mouth is truly worth it.  Pick and choose what you really want.  Many of us are on a weight loss plan or want to maintain our current weight...therefore we need to be picky when it comes to holiday gatherings. 

The Research:
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/holidayweightgain.cfm

Results:
When 165 of the study volunteers were weighed a year after the study began, they had not lost the extra weight gained during the holidays, and ended the year a pound and a half heavier (1.4 lb) than they were the year before.  The volunteers gained just over a pound (1.05 lb) by late February or early March. Most of that weight gain (0.8 lb) occurred during the six-week interval between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

"The good news is that people don't gain as much weight as we thought during the holidays. The bad news is that weight gained over the winter holidays isn't lost during the rest of the year." -Dr. Yanovski.

Good News:
The finding that study volunteers reporting more physical activity had less holiday weight gain suggests that increasing physical activity may be an effective method for preventing weight gain during this high-risk time.

Tips:
I worked with a registered dietitian (Sandra Koulourides M.S., R.D.) once who gave me some great tips when it came to sticking to my clean eating over the holidays.  I've added a few of my own but feel free to share what works for you! 

1. Don’t ever go to a party/dinner/social gathering hungry.
2. Limit your calories from alcohol. They can add up and they are not filling. Stick with wine, light beer, or hard liquor mixed with something non-caloric.
3. At parties, choose lean meats, fruits, veggies, nuts.
4. Avoid anything fried, crackers and cheese, chips and dip, pastry items, desserts, creamy drinks.
5. When you choose to indulge, do so in moderation, and make sure it is worth it.
6. Continue your clean eating throughout the day as much as possible.
7. Try drinking water before you eat anything.
8. After you eat, put a sugar-free mint in your mouth or a piece of gum...don't take it out. 
9. Don’t slack on your exercise. Get your cardio and muscle in every week. (Buy a DVD to do so you can't use the weather as an excuse)!
10. I'll be posting a no equipment necessary 10-20 minute work out. It is perfect when you are in a time crunch so you can't use time as an excuse. 

So much of how we choose to eat is between the ears (your mind).  Don't let your mind tell you it is ok to pig out..you'll get on track after the holidays are over because as the research shows...the pounds add up year after year.

Getting Results!

In my last blog I discussed motivation to start working out.  So, if you've started walking, or working out, I want you to know that I'm very proud.  Your next goal is to build off of what you are currently doing.  If you were walking 10 minutes a day last week, look to walk 15 minutes/day this week.  Or maybe you through in 2 minutes of jogging.  We want to keep progressing.  No matter what, something is better than nothing so don't even think about talking yourself out of a 5 minute walk or strength workout.  In fact, look how long this workout will take you!

• 30 seconds of Jumping Jacks (to modified, don't jump)
• 30 seconds push ups (you can always come from the knees)
• 30 seconds squats (put a chair behind you, tap your butt to the chair and come back up - to modify, don't go all the way down)
• 30 seconds plank (Google plank exercise if you don't know what this is)
• Repeat without rest or pat yourself on the back! 

Total time = 2 minutes.  Who doesn't have 2 minutes... if you can face book you HAVE 2 min. :-)

The next topic I want to talk about is Getting Results.  This is directed for those individuals who have been working out for awhile now but haven't been able to see the results they want.   

We all have a tendency to stay in our comfort zone.  The comfort zone is great for those who are new to exercise but when it comes to seeing those lean results, this will never work.  To develop your muscle, you have to look at your workouts and see if you are truly doing the three “C”s of muscle development. This is why I think it is a great idea to keep a workout log.  You can look back and see what you've been doing.  Plus, it is a great way to show yourself how far you've came from day one.  Ask yourself, "Are my workouts challenging, confusing, and consistent?" 

1. First you must CHALLENGE your body. You must do more than your body is used to doing. You must get outside your comfort zone. Muscle work should be hard.
2. You must create CONFUSION. Your body adapts quickly to what you are doing. You always need to change things up and keep your muscles guessing.
3.  CONSISTENCY is key. By consistent, I mean 3-5times a week you are doing something.  Most people are consistently starting and stopping which doesn't lead to results, let alone it's horrible for your mind b/c every workout feels like an uphill battle.  You never progress you just feel like you'll never get to the top of this mountain and dang it, that is demotivating.  Doing muscle every now and then does nothing when it comes to getting results.  You have to do it regularly to get results (every other day with a goal of three times per week). Your body will not change if you are not consistent with your workouts and your clean, well balanced eating. When you put these factors together, BAM magic happens! You get a lean, strong, defined body! 

My take home message, is to make sure you have those three “C”s covered so that you continue to get the results you want! 

Have a GREAT week!

Motivation To Start!

Ahhh yes...motivation.  If it came in a pill Americans couldn't swallow fast enough.  However, it comes from within.  Over the past few years, I have tried many tatics with clients, friends, and family to create motivation to start working out or jump on a healthier wellness path and yet failed to stimulate their motivation.  Why?  Because motivation doesn't come from others, it comes from you.  Yes, you can be motivated by what others are doing, or even with a new pair of shoes.  However, if you don't have your own reasons for wanting to exercise, then you won't stay on that exercise pony for long.  Below are six tips that may help you begin your own pesonal wellness journey. 

1. Find Your "Why"  - In order to be successful at anything we do, we must have a good reason for doing it in the first place.  One of the first things I do when working with new clients is to have them establish the "whys".  Why do you want to start working out?  Why do you want to lose weight?  Why?  Give me the reasons.  That way when the excuse train comes to town, I can look you in the face start listing them out.  Make a list of  reasons why you want this.  Put the list somewhere where you can see it daily.  Give the list to a buddy to help hold you accountable.  Give it to me! :-)

2. Who Supports You? - This is one of my next questions I ask my clients.  I want them to tell me who will support them through this journey.  Who can they call on when they don't feel motivated and need a pep talk?  We call them cheerleaders for a reason.  If you surround yourself with hateleaders, you won't make it very far.  Make sure you have some awesome cheerleaders helping you through this.  Let them know of your goals and ways they can help. 

3.  Identify Barriers - The third question I ask clients is to identify barriers to exercise or losing weight.  I want you to think about what is specifically keeping you from getting out the door and into some form of exercise?  Identify.  Find a solution. Take action.  (If  "time" is an issue for you and you can't seem to find a solution, talk to me, we can resolve this). 

4. Buddy System - Having someone who's counting on you to be there makes it less likely that you'll skip it or put it off. It'll motivate you to go knowing your friend expects you to be there. Plus, think of it as a way to get to see your friend. 

5. Start Small - I mean real small.  Sometimes it takes doing something small like a 5 minute walk to get the ball rolling.  So many people think you have to spend hours or have this master workout plan to start.  You don't.  Most people are what I consider to be planners.  They've planned to start for weeks, months, or sometimes years!  However, they never actually follow through with their plans.  If you are constantly planning to start working out, yet, never follow through, Ask yourself, "why are you  planning but not doing?"  What ARE YOU letting get in the way of this plan?  My advice is to set a very small, achievable goal.  Something you can probably do on a daily basis. Maybe it will be walking to the mailbox to get the mail.  From there you can build but start super small.  It feels good to achieve something! 

 6. Go Public - One reason I wanted to create a blog was to allow people to post their goals, progress, and most of all their accomplishments.  It doesn't even have to be through the blog...it can be anywhere...put it in the town newspaper if it will make you get off the couch and walk 5 minutes.  My point is, when you go public with things, you tend to do them.  You are more likely to hold yourself accountable.

Remember, you are accountable for you.  No one can force you to start or stop.  At some point you have to look in the mirror and decide you either want this or you don't.  At the end of the day it comes down to choice.  You either choose to start walking down a healthier path or you don't.  But no one else can be held accountable for what you choose to do or not do. 

It's the lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself.
-- Muhammad Ali

~Stephanie