We enjoy having women from Plano, Allen, Frisco, Prosper, Princeton and as far as Denison in our women's only boot camp. Since our start in 2009, we've enjoyed watching women shed pounds and tone up from all over the area. Many of you have friends and family out of town who that wish they could be involved in bootcamp and the personal training that we provide at such a great price. While we are expanding into other areas, it just got a little easier for them to be a part of our Fit Chick community!
We are very excited to be rolling out our new website that will allow women from anywhere with an internet connection to be a part of our Texas Fit Chick bootcamp community. The name of our new site is a secret - for now...while we put the finishing touches on it. Here are a few of the exciting things coming:
Personalized Meal Plans - with options. Our new site will calculate a meal plan based on your personal goals. Fat loss meal plans, vegetarian meal plans, balanced meal plans, and many more.There are also options in that - making it really easy to stick to. So what happens if the meal plan recommends a food that you don't like? There will be an option to switch that out with another, and 20+ other food options will pop up - making it more do-able. Very Personal and easy to follow.
Calorie Calculators - How much should you be eating for your fitness goals? This calculator figures it out for you. It will calculate it, and then recommend the meal plans with amounts already figured out for you, since it knows how much you are supposed to eat for your goals. It's all done for you!
Supportive Community - This site will be filled with chicks that all have a common goal ~ better health! We will host message boards, you can "friend" people that are also on the site, and it's completely private. No one without a subscription will be able to view any of our discussions or the site, so it's a safe place.
Workout Plan - My personal fav on the site. You will be able to get great workouts on your "off" bootcamp days! Whether it's a bootcamp workout that our trainers upload, or segments of other good training we've found online for you - it's all there.
Workout Tracker - You will get to log your workouts 7 days a week, to keep track of your progress and watch your results online. Calories burned is based on your personal settings - it figures it out for you!
Food Journal - It's been proven many times that people who journal their food have much more success than those that don't. Our site will make it easy - with thousands of foods already in the database you can just enter in the name of the food, and it will most times, give you the cals/protein/fat/sugar content!
Healthy Menus and Recipes w/ Printable Grocery Lists - Doesn't get much easier than this! Awesome feature that will let pick your meal plan, then print out the grocery list! Only want to shop for one nights worth of dinner? Tell us which day you want, and that's all that will print out. Very easy and SO convenient!
Personal Trainer Access - Our trainers will be on the site to answer any questions you might have about fitness or losing weight daily. They are there to help you succeed and will be publishing exclusive content only available to our members!
We will be offering our facebook fans special pricing exclusively through our Facebook Page starting Feb. 7 - so be sure to "Like us on Facebook" for your opportunity to be a part of the offer!
We are Committed to YOUR success!
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Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Before I found fitness.....
I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. I started to realize that what I ate directly affected how I felt and what I looked like. I fought this for a long time, since before baby, I never really had to watch what I ate, but once I accepted it, change could begin to happen. I'm all or nothing type personality, which does NOT work for me when it comes to losing weight. I quickly found out that you can't go from being sedentary to running a mile without getting a nice cramp in your side, or a headache. If I tried to stay away from all sweets, I found myself feeling deprived and irritable. I decided to make little changes one at a time, since the all or nothing thinking wasn't working. So, I quit frying okra for dinner. I didn't drink regular coke anymore. I quit buying drumstick ice cream cones at the grocery store, etc. making little changes that I could live with, one at a time. Very soon, I was running (after training for a while) and could finally give away those maternity pants.
I have been on both sides of the fitness scale, and I definetly prefer to stay active and feeling good, but it's a daily choice to be made. The benefits go way beyond how your clothes fit, or what size you get down to. The most difficult part for many is getting started, and then sticking to it.
At our womens only bootcamp, our trainers hold you accountable and keep you going. Training with us will get you faster results than on your own. I just wish I'd had access to a trainer those first few years of trying to lose the weight. I would have saved myself a lot of time, since I thought getting a flat stomach meant doing 100 crunches every day!
Let us guide you to where you want to be. Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp in McKinney can get you to your fitness goals!
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Friday, January 14, 2011
My thoughts on Skinneygirl Bethanny Frankel and her book, Naturally Thin
Naturally Thin is authored by Bethenny Frankel, one of Bravo television's "Real Housewives of New York", and she is, of course, a skinny girl. She's also a professional natural foods chef. Her humor is vulgar at times, but her message when it comes to food is right on. Here's a bit from the book:
The 10 golden rules for being naturally thin: (her rules are in blue...my thoughts aren't)
- Your diet is a bank account - balance your daily calories like you balance your checkbook. - I love this example. If you went to work every day and made $100 from 9-5, but on the way home you stopped at the outlets, shopped and spent $150, how far is that going to get you? Nowhere, fast. If you workout and burn 500 calories, but consume 3000 over the course of the day, you will get nowhere fast. No matter how hard you train, if you are overspending in your calorie account, you won't change your body.
- You can have it all - just not all at once.- Enjoy little treats. Have one bite of the chocolate cake that your husband ordered for dessert, since you skipped the bread basket before dinner came!
- Taste everything, eat nothing - meaning share food, eat small bites.- Little tastes of the rich foods can be enough if you savor each bite, and slow it down a bit.
- Pay attention - say no to mindless eating. - Don't shove it in just because it's there. Ask yourself before each food decision you make in the day: Is this going to help get me to my fitness goals?
- Downsize your portions.- No more supersize anything.
- Cancel your membership in the Clean Plate Club.- It's really ok!
- Check yourself before you wreck yourself - stop emotional and binge eating. - Substitute the bag of chips for a brisk walk around the neighborhood or a jog. Runners high can cut stress a LOT!
- Know thyself - know your trigger foods. - Don't bring them into the house. Have your willpower begin at the grocery store.
- Get real - eat more whole foods, fewer processed ones.- Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. That's where the fresh stuff is.
- Food is not the enemy - make peace with food. Amen Bethanny! Well said.
In the book you'll find guidance on recognizing real hunger (as opposed to boredom hunger, stress hunger, etc.), on recognizing when you should indulge your cravings, and the importance of never finishing everything on your plate. She also grants the permission slip to break the rules every once in a while - so long as you get right back on the bus the next day. Bethenny uses her professional platform to instruct on choosing high fiber (filling) foods, on the importance of low calorie veggies as the key component of your diet, along with smaller amounts of fruits, whole grains, meats, and proteins.Cut back your portion. Bethenny's trick for having it all is tapas-style small plates, tastes and bites, as opposed to full-on meals, so when indulging in a decadent Alfredo, rather than having a bowl - you have a few bites, filling up a ramekin.
It's freeing to know that nothing is off limits with her suggestions, and really makes you become a more "conscious eater". That mindless eating in front of a football game or a movie, can pack on the pounds. Even mindlessly eating chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant until your food comes. One basket of chips is enough calories for your day. I like Bethannys' suggestions and she's a great example of eating clean but still indulging occasionally.
Make workout a daily routine for yourself. Take at least 30-45 mins for cardio on your non-bootcamp days and keep a food journal if eating well is new to you. It's amazing how once you've been eating well for a while, the junk food doesn't even appeal to you anymore, and when you do eat it, you feel sick. That WILL happen - I promise - if you stick with it!
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10 Foods that Fight Fat & help you lose weight!
Foods that fight fat. If you want to lose weight but don’t know what to eat…you’re not alone. Go into any bookstore and you will see a dozen different books on what to eat and what not to eat. Some of those books are great – and some should be used as a coaster for your drink. There’s not a secret solution or quick fix – actually let me restate that. There are quick fixes that will drop weight off of you…but they only last as long as you are “On” them – and once you return to normal eating, more often than not, more weight will come on. You basically screw up your metabolism each time you do one of those things….so it gets harder and harder to keep it off. Here are the top 10 foods I keep handy that are all great in fighting off fat!
1) Cottage Cheese. Why it works Cottage cheese has whey protein, which releases hormones that tell your brain when you've had enough to eat, says Dave Grotto, R.D., of Chicago. Look for lowfat versions, which have 80 calories and 1 gram of fat per 1/2 cup. My husband likes to mix lowfat yogurt with the cottage to make it a little tastier…just make sure the yogurt has less than 12g of sugar.
2) Egg Whites - Why they work The amino acids in egg whites help build lean muscle that may in turn help rev metabolism. I buy 18 lg eggs on Sunday, boil them and then dry them off – pop em back into the egg crate and we eat on them all week long for a really quick and easy snack. They are great for the afternoon snack attack hits!
3) Oatmeal - Why it works Plain oatmeal has no added sugar and keeps blood sugar steady. Even better than Old Fashioned kind – do Steel Cut for more fiber. I add cinnamon and stevia (natural sweetner) to make it even better. Great on a cold morning.
4) Almond Butter – Why it works We use almond butter daily around here. It’s healthier than Peanut butter, and supplies healthy fats we need. Spread it on celery sticks for a great afternoon snack. Don’t over-do 2T 190 cals.
5) Beans – Why it works You can't beat beans—they're only about 150 calories per 1/2 cup and full of protein, fiber and antioxidants. Always good with brown rice or veggie chili. They will fill you up and will go easy on the grocery bill too!
6) Salmon – Why it works Just 3 ounces of canned salmon delivers 530 IU (more than the Daily Value) for vitamin D and 181 mg of calcium, a power-packed nutritional combination that may be just what your waistline needs as we get older
7) Soybeans (Edamame) – Why it works These are fat blockers. Soybeans contain lecithin, which help flush fat from your system rather than sticking on your thighs. 1 C has 150 calories…great afternoon or movie snack!
8) Lean Protein – Why it works Regulates insulin levels and stops cravings. Helps the body fill full. Protein is known as the building block for the body's muscle. The more lean muscle mass built in the body, the less fat that will exist in the same area! Great sources: Chicken breast, turkey, egg whites, buffalo
9) Olive Oil – Why it works Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat. Our bodies metabolizes these types of fats at a faster rate than saturated fats, which may lead to further weight loss. The British Journal of Nutrition published a study in 2003 suggesting that monounsaturated fats, from products such as olive oil, break down fats stored within the body. Once the fat was broken down, it was easier for the body to release and eliminate the fat. Replace oils in your diet that contain saturated fats with olive oil to increase your belly fat loss.
10) Whole Grains – Why they work Whole grains have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood coagulation. Whole grains have also been found to reduce the risks of many types of cancer. They may also help regulate blood glucose in people living with diabetes. Other studies have also shown that people who consume more whole grains consistently weigh less than those who consumed less whole grain products.
Check labels carefully! Foods labelled with the words "multi-grain," "stone-ground," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," "seven-grain," or "bran" are usually not whole-grain products. Color is also not an indication of a whole grain. Brown does not necessary mean whole wheat or whole grain! Some brown bread has brown coloring added to achieve the brown color!
When determining if a packaged food product contains whole grain or not, look for the word "whole" in the ingredient list. Also look for the Whole Grain Stamp (see above examples). A "good source" stamp contains at least 1/2 serving of whole grains while an "excellent source" contains at least 1 serving of whole grains. - Healthcastle
For the fastest weight loss possible (the healthy way) combine Cardio and Strength training in your workouts. Be sure to increase weight and/or reps to avoid the dreaded plateau. Not sure how to workout? Let our female personal trainers teach you how to reach your goals. Our women only bootcamps incorporate interval training and mix in Kettlebells, Medicine Balls, Resistance Bands and more...so we keep it fun and your body won't ever know what's coming next. Our trainers have been successfully helping women lose weight and keep it off since 2009, and we have the most fun McKinney Boot Camp around! We are located less than 1 mi from Adriataca, in Stonebridge Ranch, and less than 1 mi from the Frisco line. All of our workouts are INDOORS for the winter. You will lose weight, get a meal plan for free, and have fun in the process!
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Tuesday, January 11, 2011
It's time to stop the negativity and focus on the positive! Our trainers can help...
It never ceases to amaze me how truly NOBODY is 100% happy with the way they look. I have measured many women over the past several years as a personal trainer, and one thing is a constant. Whether they have 30% body fat or 19%, they aren't happy with their body. If they have a 40" waist or a I understand that feeling all too well. " waist, typically I will hear some sort of negative comment as I do my job. *By the way...I don't ever walk away from that process thinking anything negative of my clients. It becomes as routine as a nurse taking your BP. It's just part of what I do. I've been in that spot where I am critical of the parts of me that I think need improvement. What I have learned (since I'm in my mid-30s I like to think that I have a little bit of insight :) is to be happy where you are. Statistically, without exercise and a good diet, your body is probably better than it will be in 10 yrs from now, and then you will look back and wonder to yourself...why wasn't I happy then??? That happened to me. I vividly remember in my early 20's being unhappy with certain things, but looking back at pictures of myself, I regret that.
Doing the research I do for blogging, facebook posting, etc...I have seen the crazy lengths people go to in order to become a certain size. Liquid diets, and crazy procedures that promise to take the inches off. Only problem is, even when I have a "skinny minnie" in front of me to start training, she's not happy. Yet, if the average woman saw her in the gym or grocery store, she'd probably have a moment of envy at how she looked....never thinking that the woman was just as self-concious (and sometimes more so) than the onlooker.
The media doesn't help in this matter at all. Photoshop is a wonderful thing, but not for the self-esteem of the average woman in America. Those models are flawless in the magazines, but it's completely concocted, and it's just not real. You can google the video on youtube of the model before and then after the "retouching" and it's amazing what they can do. Yes, there are those that are fitness models that compete and super low body fat and look super toned - but do you really know what lengths they go to for that? Anyone can do that if they are willing to work out 4-6 hrs a day, eat broiled tilapia and asparagus for a month before the competition, and down dry oatmeal the day of the event to suck out any fluids that might be lurking. (Ok - some of that might be a little sarchasm - but that's not far from the reality of being in that business). So....the next time you find yourself dwelling on the body part that is your "problem area" (we ALL have one) try to divert your attention to a positive about yourself that you can be happy about. Decide to work on your fitness a little each day to get you where you want to be, but don't wish to be someone else, because chances are good that they aren't happy with their body either.
Let our expert bootcamp trainers guide you to where you want to be. Non-military boot camp designed FOR women BY women. We are located in the heart of Stonebridge Ranch - McKinney Texas - and are INDOORS for the winter. Offering classes at 5am-6am, 5:30am-6:30am and 7PM-8Pm
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Monday, January 10, 2011
Why Resolutions Fail ~ & how our McKinney boot camp will help you reach your goals!
Did you make a new year’s resolution? If you decided 2011 would be the year you get fit, you are not alone. Researchers say that 65% of people in our country made some sort of fitness related resolution. That's great, if only resolutions worked. People start out with the best of intentions, but usually by about April, those goals have become a thing of the past, and frustration likely sets in. We don't have much patience these days. Instant gratification is what we are accustomed to. When it comes to weight loss, that's what most are looking for - the quick fix. Only problem with that is, it just doesn't work long term. Most weight loss books you see everywhere at the bookstore lure you by promising rapid weight loss on their plan. While it is true that you will lose some weight quickly (most of it's water weight) if you do what they say, the moment you are "off" the plan, it comes right back on. Many times you gain extra weight since you have completely messed with your metabolism - and you've felt deprived. How many of us can relate to the following: "Oh no, I already screwed up today since I had a strawberry, which isn't allowed on this phase of the diet, so might as well grab a Snickers at 7-11 on the way home from work, and start again fresh tomorrow". If you've ever done a fad-diet, you can probably relate. So what's the answer?
Look at your daily habits and see where there is room for improvement. If you are trying to change your physique, it's important to make sure you are not taking in more calories than you are burning. I advise my clients to use the 90/10 rule. Eat well 90% of the time and do what you want to 10%. I encourage them to eat "clean" during the week, but take one day off on the weekend for a "cheat day". When you start to see how much your diet correlates to how your clothes fit, you might change that to one "cheat" meal a week, instead of an entire day. If you habitually make poor choices when it comes to what you eat, you won't reach your goals no matter how hard you workout. It's easy to educate yourself on calorie content since most places list their nutrition info online. I'm not sure how many of us would sit down and polish off 18 Oreo cookies, but a lot of people drive through Sonic and eat an Oreo blast without thinking about it. The number of calories is the same as if you'd just eaten the 18 cookies. 1,020 calories in that blast. It would take over 2 hrs of intense exercise for the avg person to burn that shake off. Most people underestimate the calorie content of food when they eat out, and overestimate what they burn at the gym or on their own.
Don't weigh yourself daily, or even weekly. All of us fluctuate on the scale (especially women) throughout the month. There is nothing more discouraging than working out, eating well and then seeing your number stay the same, or even go up. Go by how your clothing fits. When you start working out, and strength training, you will build lean muscle mass, which weighs more than fat. You can be losing inches, but the number might not change. Trying to get clients out of the habit of weighing every single day is tough, but those that do it tend to be happier than those that fixate on the number. Weigh only once every 5-6 weeks for a clearer picture of your progress. If you are a bootcamp client of ours, we will take a full body comp at the beginning of your boot camp, and then again at the end for a great snapshot of your progress.
Plan ahead. Failing to plan is planning to fail. What's in your pantry that tempts you? If you don't bring it into the house, you won't eat it. My willpower begins at the grocery store. Just be sure to grocery shop when you're full. You're less likely to buy junk if you're not hungry. Last year in May, both of my kids had a ton of birthday parties to attend, all within 4 weeks. I think there were seven total. Cake is my temptation. I can have ice cream in the freezer for months, but if there's cake on my counter, I eat it for breakfast. I knew I would be offered cake 7 times within the month. I decided which party I would say yes to the cake, and which I would politely decline. Had I not done that, I would've ended up eating basically an entire cake (7 slices!) It's the little things that can add up and equal extra lbs on the scale. Don't deprive yourself of the yummy stuff in life,; just decide when to indulge and when to abstain.
Decide today what your goals are. Write down what changes you will make this week, to get you to your goals. Enlist support for your plan. Surrounding yourself with people that have the same goal as you do makes the process much easier. At Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp, you will meet other women that have the same goals as you, and that will make your journey more fun. Journal your progress along the way. Keeping a food journal is a great tool when trying to lose weight. Our personal trainers will be happy to look over your food during boot camp, to see if there is room for improvement. Celebrate your victories as they happen, and forgive yourself when you stumble. You might just find that you start loving your new health not just for how good you look, but for how you breathe easier, play with the kids longer, enjoy less stress, etc. Let our trainers guide you to your goals. Our McKinney boot camps serve women from Frisco, Allen, Plano and Prosper. We are located on the far West side of McKinney (Stonebridge Ranch) less than a mile from Frisco. We offer indoor boot camp with all female Nationally Certified female personal trainers. Start any Monday! Get Up, Get out, Get fit Texas!Click here to visit our website
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Thursday, January 6, 2011
Why cutting calories too drastically won't work for losing weight.
Know Your Numbers
The numbers we are talking about are your resting metabolic rate. We will discuss your metabolic rate and how it can work with you or against you when it comes to weight management. If you are a chronic dieter - and these days the majority of people are chronic dieters - you need to know why restricting calories too severely is damaging to your body and counterproductive. If you feel like you are restricting calories but not losing weight, the information in this step will help you understand why restricting calories below your resting metabolic rate (RMR) can actually work against you. Your body is a complicated "machine" and meeting its needs with high quality "fuel" is important for health and performance. The quality of the food you provide your body - especially the quality of the calories you eat to meet your RMR - is important to your health. In this step we will:
• Define "metabolism" and "resting metabolic rate" or RMR
• Explain the importance of knowing your resting metabolic rate (RMR) in weight management
• Tell you how to estimate your own personal RMR
• Explain the critical importance of meeting your RMR requirements with wholesome food
What is "metabolism" and what is "resting metabolic rate"?
Even when you are sitting at rest your body is not resting. Your heart is beating, you are breathing and your body is carrying out other functions that you are unaware of entirely. Your body may be making blood cells, your kidneys may be eliminating wastes and your liver may be clearing toxic substances from your body. Your brain is burning calories as it acts as the master control center coordinating all of these activities. This is work that your body must do to keep you functioning. This work involves making new cells or tissues, breaking down old cells or tissues, or repairing and maintaining existing cells and tissues. All of this work is collectively referred to as your metabolism. It should not be surprising that this work requires energy. You are burning calories even when you sit quietly at rest.
The rate at which your body burns calories when you are comfortably resting is called your "resting metabolic rate" or RMR
There is only one way to know for certain if you have a slow metabolism and that is to measure it. Before you go to the expense of having your RMR measured, you should know that a slow metabolism is quite rare. Shape Up America! has provided you with a "Metabolism Calculator" that you can use to estimate your RMR. We will tell you more about that below.
There are different systems for measuring RMR, but the goal of each is the same - to measure the number of calories you burn while at rest. A common system for measuring RMR involves putting a ventilated hood over your mouth and nose. Another system involves pinching your nose shut with a clip as you breathe into a mouth device. Regardless of which system is used, the rate at which your body uses oxygen while at rest is measured. Without going into the technical details, measuring your rate of oxygen consumption allows calculation of your RMR. Your RMR is the number of calories you burn over time. If we know your RMR, we can easily calculate the number of calories you burn over an entire day if you were to remain at rest.
When you cut calories to BELOW your RMR, your body fights back. Restricting calories below your RMR is like asking your car's engine to run on too little gas. If your car is sitting in the driveway with the engine on, it is burning gas as it sits there. If you put the car in drive and step on the gas, it burns gas at a faster rate. What happens if you choke off the supply of gas to your engine? It sputters and eventually stalls. The same is true for your metabolism.
The RMR number is telling you the minimum number of calories your body needs to keep your body functioning properly.
What happens if you cut your food intake BELOW your RMR? Your body fights back. It actually DECREASES its metabolic rate. If you are eating an insufficient amount of food to meet your RMR, you will not be eating enough to maintain your body's functions properly. You can do this for a day or even two days without consequences. But chronic restriction of calories below the RMR is not unusual among dieters. This type of severe restriction can go on for an extended period of time (weeks or months), but NOT WITHOUT PAYING A PRICE. That price may be your health.
When you restrict calories too severely, your body is forced to make tradeoffs. Your body will struggle to preserve the highest priority bodily functions. Brain and heart function will be a very high priority whereas reproductive function and bone will be sacrificed.
You think you are restricting calories but if your restriction is too severe, your body will do everything it can to conserve calories. A familiar example of restricting calories too severely is the athlete or ballerina or model that is always trying to cut weight. But many people practice severe calorie restriction, not just models or athletes.
Here is what happens to a female who restricts calories too severely for an extended period:
• She experiences fatigue and becomes listless
• She may sleep more
• She finds it more difficult to exercise or work
• She damages her immune system which means she gets sick more often and for longer
• She skips her menstrual periods for months or even years because her endocrine system is thrown into disarray
• She loses her reproductive capacity (she will be unable to conceive or carry a baby)
• If she is dieting while pregnant, she may damage her baby's development
• She loses muscle tissue as her body breaks down muscle in its desperate search for calories
• She loses heart muscle in addition to skeletal muscle
• Her bones become thinner and she may experience broken bones if she falls
• Her hair becomes brittle and may start to fall out
• Her eyes become dull
• She develops skin problems
• She has bad breath because she is burning ketones
• She starts to experience mood changes
• She develops psychological changes that can develop into dementia, anorexia or bulimia
• She can eventually starve to death
There has to be a better way, and there is. Severe calorie restriction is totally unnecessary and counterproductive. The alternative is to take the long view and be willing to LOSE WEIGHT SLOWLY by restricting calories only modestly. You need to know your RMR and avoid restricting calories below your RMR. Here is what you need to know:
1. Your RMR makes up the major portion of your daily calorie needs
2. You should protect your body's RMR as you do a high performance automobile. You need to eat enough calories to meet your RMR each day.
3. A racecar requires high-test fuel for optimal performance. Similarly, your body requires wholesome food in adequate amounts to protect your RMR
4. Building healthy muscle and bone by eating the right foods and exercising will actually INCREASE your RMR and help you manage your weight
5. Protecting your RMR will pay you dividends because you will feel better and be more vigorous and active - which allows you to burn more calories.
6. To increase your metabolism:
a. Exercise daily
b. Build your muscles through strength training
c. Build bone by doing "weight bearing" exercise like walking or dancing (or any other exercise or sport that you perform while up on your feet)
If calorie restriction is too severe, the fatigue that results will undermine your exercise regimen. You will not have the energy you need to exercise. You may actually rest more or sleep more - which leads to an overall reduction in calories burned. Here is a typical scenario:
John burns 2000 calories per day of which 1600 calories per day is his RMR requirement.
John wants to lose 1.5 pounds per week, so he cuts his calorie intake by 750 calories. This leaves John with 1250 calories - some of which is from nutrient poor soda and "junk food." The 1250 calories he allows himself is well below the 1600 calories he needs to support his RMR.
This drastic reduction in calories and poor quality food causes John to feel fatigued and he sleeps a lot - in fact he starts sleeping late and does not want to go for his daily workout in the early morning.
After a week or two of feeding his body only 1250 calories a day, John is surprised and frustrated that his weight loss is not the 1 ½ pounds per week he expected. It is scarcely ½ pound per week! This is because to conserve calories, his RMR has decreased drastically and he is exercising less and sleeping more.
Food is more than Calories - USE WHOLESOME FOOD TO MEET YOUR RMR
Food is one of the great mysteries as well as one of the great pleasures of life. Food contains much more than vitamins and minerals and energy (calories). It contains many, many compounds that play an important role in protecting your health and well-being. Only a tiny fraction of those compounds have been identified and every year many more important compounds in food are found. Few have been studied adequately. We are just at the beginning of understanding how special compounds in fish and vegetables protect against cancer, how dietary fiber protects against cancer and heart disease, and how many other valuable compounds found only in food protect your health. Think of wholesome food as your health insurance policy.
No vitamin-mineral pill is a substitute for good wholesome food. EAT HEALTHY FOOD TO MEET YOUR RMR
Many of the special compounds found in food are important to keep your metabolism running optimally. To protect your health and maintain your metabolism, you should plan to meet your RMR requirements with wholesome foods. A wholesome food is a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals and many other things your body needs. Sodas, candy, desserts, chips, should not be used to meet your RMR.
Here are the foods we recommend you eat to meet your RMR requirements:
• Plenty of veggies. Choose plenty of dark, leafy greens and other highly colored vegetables each day. Learn how to eat vegetables raw or properly cooked so they are not over-cooked. Frozen veggies can be as nutritious as fresh. Canned vegetables are OK too. Aim to cover at least half your plate at lunch and dinner with veggies.
• Aim for whole grain breads, pasta, cereals and other products. Aim for at least 6 servings a day but remember that for these foods, a serving is only 1 ounce.
• Choose 2 or 3 servings of fruit each day - Don't get carried away with your portion sizes. One medium-sized apple is one serving. For weight management, avoid juice and choose fruit instead because fruit is more filling than juice. One half cup of berries or cut up fruit (pineapple chunks, melon pieces) counts as one serving. One half banana counts as one serving.
• Aim for 2 or 3 servings of low fat or nonfat dairy products a day. A milk or yogurt serving is one cup. A regular cheese serving is ½ ounce (for regular cheese) and 1 ounce for low fat cheese. Take care to use only NON-FAT or Low Fat milk, cheese and yogurt.
• For protein, choose only fish, poultry, eggs, LEAN meats, beans, and legumes. Go for a serving at every meal. One egg is one serving. One half cup of beans or legumes is one serving. 2-3 ounces of meat, fish or poultry is one serving. Trim visible fat and remove skin from the poultry before eating. Avoid fried foods and sauces. Eat your protein servings prepared as plainly as possible. Use herbs, garlic, onions, salt, pepper and other spices to add flavor.
Summary
You are not always sitting at rest. Sometimes you are running, walking, playing, doing physical labor, and doing many other activities. From the perspective of your body, this is all EXTRA work over and above the work your body must do when you are resting. When you are active, your metabolic rate moves up above your resting level because you are burning more calories. Some of the work your body does is very subtle and you are hardly aware of it. When you are too hot or too cold, your body has to do work to warm you or cool you. So temperature control causes your metabolic rate to increase. When you eat food, your body does work so your metabolic rate increases. When you digest food your metabolic rate increases as you digest and absorb food. At the end of the day, your total calories burned are determined by your resting metabolism (your RMR) PLUS all of the calories your body burns to do the extra work you performed throughout the entire day. Your Total Daily Calorie Goal covers the total number of calories you need for the entire day. Restricting calories too severely causes your RMR to decrease. The more severe the restriction the more drastic the drop. Restricting calories too severely is counterproductive because your body will fight back by decreasing RMR. Not only should you avoid restricting calories below your RMR, you should take care to make sure you eat wholesome food to meet your RMR.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Calories and Dieting .
How many calories do I have to restrict to lose one pound a week?
The rule of thumb is to create an "energy deficit" of 3500 calories in order to lose one pound. If you spread that energy deficit over an entire week, that comes to a deficit of 500 calories per day. If you subtract 500 calories from your total daily calorie goal provided by the CyberKitchen and it restricts you below your RMR, you need to back off on your restriction. That is why you need to use the Shape Up America! Metabolism Calculator to know your RMR. The average woman burns 400-600 calories during one boot camp session.
What do I do to lose one pound per week without restricting calories below my RMR?
If you still want to aim for a deficit of 500 calories per day, you can use an exercise strategy to boost your deficit. 1 hr of boot camp – pushing yourself will typically burn around that number of calories, based on the women that wear body buggs and HR monitors during class. The beauty of this combined approach is that the restriction is milder plus you reap the health benefits of exercise as you lose weight.
How to estimate your daily RMR
To estimate your daily RMR, we have a "Metabolism Calculator" for you to use. Click below to use our Metabolism Calculator to estimate your RMR. The number of calories determined by the Shape Up America! Metabolism Calculator is an estimate of your resting calorie needs for the entire day.
Click to calculate your RMR
Why you need to KNOW YOUR RMR
Article from shape up America.
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Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The Portion Teller. Small Changes will bring big results with boot camp!
Americans eat too much of everything. There isn’t one food group responsible for our expanding waistlines. In order to avoid cravings and lose weight, we need to cut food from all of the food groups instead of cutting out entire groups. This book provides a simple plan to help us eat the right foods in the right amounts.
- Fruit (2-4 servings daily)
We all know that fruits contain loads of vitamins and minerals, but they also contain a lot of sugar which is why we’re told to limit our fruit intake to 2-4 servings per day. Dr. Young tells us that the most helpful visual for determining the right serving size of fruit is a baseball. A baseball’s volume is approximately 1 cup. So 1 cup of berries and 1 baseball sized apple or orange would be good examples of a fruit serving. According to The Portion Teller, the best fruits, nutritionally, are berries, kiwi, melons and citrus, and we should avoid fruit juice, dried fruits, canned fruits in syrup due to their high sugar content.
- Non-Starchy Vegetables (3+ servings daily)
- Grains and Starchy Vegetables (4-8 servings daily)
- Fish, Poultry, and Meat (2-3 servings daily)
- Dairy (2-3 servings daily)
- Fat (1-3 servings daily)
- Treats and Sweets (0-2 servings daily)
- Avoid your triggers–if you can’t stop with one serving of chips, then don’t eat any.
Only splurge 1 day a week–avoid eating sweets on a daily basis and they’ll seem like more of a treat.
Skip soft drinks–you’re better off chewing your calories than drinking them.
Fat free still means calorie laden–be careful when eating those low fat cakes, cookies, and ice creams.
Share–order one dessert for two people when at a restaurant.
I highly recommed picking up a copy of the Portion Teller - small changes can make big differences on the scale! If you combine the principles of this book along with our total body workouts at Texas Fit Chicks boot camp, your body will completely CHANGE! Check out Melisa, who successfully changed her portion sizes and trained with us - her results are proof it works!
Ready to be our next "After model?" We serve women in McKinney, Plano, Prosper, Allen, Frisco and all of the N Dallas area. Lose weight, tone up and live the healthy life you deserve. All fitness levels welcome - start any Monday! Hurry and save your spot....we are INDOORS for the winter - so space is limited!
Texas Fit Chicks Boot Camp (formerly McKinney Boot Camp) Get up. Get out. Get Fit!
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Wednesday, December 22, 2010
100 easy ways to cut 100 calories per day
Here are 100 painless ways to cut 100 or more calories a day. Making small changes can add up to big results when you are trying to lose weight, and keep it off.
1. Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
2. Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.
3. Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.
4. Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.
5. Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.
6. Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.
7. Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.
8. Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
9. On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.
10. Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.
11. Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.
12. Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.
13. For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.
14. Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.
15. Eat a Lender's egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.
16. Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.
17. Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.
18. When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.
19. Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.
20. Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.
21. Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.
22. Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.
23. Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.
24. Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.
25. Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.
26. Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.
27. Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.
28. Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.
29. Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.
30. Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.
31. Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.
32. Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.
33. At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.
34. Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.
35. Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.
36. Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.
37. Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.
38. Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.
39. Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.
40. Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.
41. Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.
42. Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.
43. Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.
44. Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.
45. Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.
46. Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.
47. Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.
48. Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.
49. Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.
50. Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.
51. Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.
52. Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.
53. Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.
54. Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.
55. Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.
56. Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.
57. In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.
58. Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.
59. Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.
60. For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.
61. Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.
62. Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.
63. Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following "tastes" have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.
64. At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.
65. Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.
66. Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.
67. Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.
68. Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.
69. Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.
70. Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.
71. Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You'll save 100 calories per slice.
72. Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.
73. Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.
74. Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.
75. Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.
76. Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.
77. Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.
78. Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.
79. Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.
80. On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.
81. Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.
82. Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.
83. Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.
84. Eat 2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts.
85. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.
86. Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.
87. Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.
88. Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.
89. At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.
90. Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.
91. At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.
92. Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.
93. Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.
94. Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.
95. Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots.
96. Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.
97. Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.
98. Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell's wheat crackers.
99. Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.
100. Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is a nutritionist in private practice and editor of the Nutrition Report. Her latest book is Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide
We offer fitness training for women only - with our boot camps in McKinney Texas. Serving women of Frisco, Plano, Allen, Dallas and Prosper Tx. Our trainers are all nationally certified fitness trainers and have a passion for helping women lose weight and regain health through exercise! Join us for a 5 wk boot camp and start any Monday.
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Monday, December 20, 2010
No more excuses. Personal story from your trainer.....
Do you have an excuse?
Making life changes can be difficult. Humans are creatures of habit, and sometimes those habits can have a really negative effect on our daily lives. One of those is being sedentary. Modern conveniences make it really easy to not get moving. It’s interesting to me that very rarely do you see old black and white photos of obese people. Granted, none of them seem to smile, and they don’t look particularly happy most of the time, but I can’t think of many pictures I’ve seen with overweight people! Back then, they didn’t have the conveniences we do and they didn’t have the weight problem either. The number of people that will become diabetic this generation is staggering. The childhood obesity rate is steadily climbing and something has got to be done. Parents have the first influence on our kids, and what we do at home is an example to our kids, that starts at an early age. It’s our responsibility to show them how to take care of our bodies and exercise is an integral part of that. There are lots of excuses that we make though, and we need to really reflect on whether or not it’s truly a reason to not get up and get moving.
It takes the first step to start a new lifestyle. I have been there. I gained around 75 lbs with my first baby. I remember watching a Cowboys game, seeing Emmit Smiths' stats and being horrified that I was only 12 lbs less than him! Totally sedentary during pregnancy, diagnosed with toxemia, put on bedrest and had an emergency C-section 3 weeks early. I had a lot of weight to lose after that baby, but with diet and exercise was able to get back to pre-baby weight. Maintained it pretty well, then baby #2 came along. I gained another 50+ pounds and again, had a lot of weight to lose. This time though, it wasn’t so easy. Baby 3 came soon after, and I was determined to do this one differently. I exercised throughout the entire pregnancy, still gained around 40 lbs, but she was a big baby, and I lost it within 2 wks. It was night and day different. Then, my thyroid decided to give up on me. I was diagnosed with Hypo-Thyroidism at 27. Had all the symptoms, extreme fatigue, hair loss, difficulty losing weight, etc. It’s something that completely changes your life, since that little thyroid controls your metabolism. It’s not fun – sometimes I think it’s not fair – but it is what it is, and I work around it. Exercise and clean eating makes a ton of difference in the way that I feel on a daily basis, and it’s critical that I stay on top of both aspects of that to make it through the day.
Do you have an excuse? When I ran the San Francisco marathon in 2005, it was amazing. The feeling of accomplishment was awesome and running across the Golden Gate on that July morning was surreal. While training for that, I found out that I can do 5 miles just fine, but after that, I have to take off my shoes and walk on the pavement for about 2 mins to fix the shooting pain I get in my toes. Many trips to the podiatrist and expensive orthotics later, I still could only do 5 miles before having to take them off. It’s just the way my foot is built – nothing the Dr could do. So during the 26.2 mile run, I did that about 5 times throughout. Finishing fast wasn’t an option for me. There was a moment that I got frustrated and started to be irritated by this taking off my shoes process, and then I saw something that gave me lots of gratitude and humility. I was coming up to mile 10 and saw the ½ marathoners that had already finished. One of them had 1 leg, and a prosthetic for the other. My self pity went away, and I was quickly put back in my place. What an amazing person that didn’t let any excuses or disabilities slow her down.
Decide that you are not going to allow your excuses determine your health today. Take that first step towards creating a better life for yourself, and taking charge of your fitness. In the process, you will be a great example for your family, and those in your life. It’s always easier to “stay on a roll” than to get on a roll, but it only takes 21 days to create a habit. Go mark the calendar and decide that today is your day 1 of creating positive lifestyle changes that will lead to your success!
I love my job as a personal trainer, and am passionate about helping women lose weight anand change their lives through health and fitness. Our womens only bootcamp teaches you exercises that can be done at home – on travel – or anywhere you have a space! We use equipment that you won’t find in a gym (or maybe you will find it but don’t know what to do with it!) and it’s functional training. Meaning, it helps you in everyday life. Climbing the stairs is easier, holding a baby that feels like a sack of potatoes is easier, carrying loads of laundry is easier…all the fun stuff we get to do! lol. Bootcamp is a great way to shock your body and lose weight. In the process – you will meet great friends that are all women with a common goal…better health.
Decide today, Commit to your goals and let us help you succeed. Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp is the most fun fitness you will find in McKinny Texas. Also serving women from Frisco, Allen, Plano, Prosper and Dallas. We are indoors for the winter and out of the cold! Join us and start any Monday. Ready to commit?
Click here to visit our website for more info
Follow us on FB for daily trainer tips!
We tweet!
All exercises shown at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels - so you will always be working at your own level. One last thing...we DO NOT sell any type of supplements, vitamins, equipment or candles! (little sarchasm on that last one) I've been approached by many reps wanting me to do so, but I feel like my clients are here for a great workout, and not an infomercial. With our program, women get a free meal plan that was created by a registered dietician....we want you to do it the healthy way and will never push any product.
Making life changes can be difficult. Humans are creatures of habit, and sometimes those habits can have a really negative effect on our daily lives. One of those is being sedentary. Modern conveniences make it really easy to not get moving. It’s interesting to me that very rarely do you see old black and white photos of obese people. Granted, none of them seem to smile, and they don’t look particularly happy most of the time, but I can’t think of many pictures I’ve seen with overweight people! Back then, they didn’t have the conveniences we do and they didn’t have the weight problem either. The number of people that will become diabetic this generation is staggering. The childhood obesity rate is steadily climbing and something has got to be done. Parents have the first influence on our kids, and what we do at home is an example to our kids, that starts at an early age. It’s our responsibility to show them how to take care of our bodies and exercise is an integral part of that. There are lots of excuses that we make though, and we need to really reflect on whether or not it’s truly a reason to not get up and get moving.
It takes the first step to start a new lifestyle. I have been there. I gained around 75 lbs with my first baby. I remember watching a Cowboys game, seeing Emmit Smiths' stats and being horrified that I was only 12 lbs less than him! Totally sedentary during pregnancy, diagnosed with toxemia, put on bedrest and had an emergency C-section 3 weeks early. I had a lot of weight to lose after that baby, but with diet and exercise was able to get back to pre-baby weight. Maintained it pretty well, then baby #2 came along. I gained another 50+ pounds and again, had a lot of weight to lose. This time though, it wasn’t so easy. Baby 3 came soon after, and I was determined to do this one differently. I exercised throughout the entire pregnancy, still gained around 40 lbs, but she was a big baby, and I lost it within 2 wks. It was night and day different. Then, my thyroid decided to give up on me. I was diagnosed with Hypo-Thyroidism at 27. Had all the symptoms, extreme fatigue, hair loss, difficulty losing weight, etc. It’s something that completely changes your life, since that little thyroid controls your metabolism. It’s not fun – sometimes I think it’s not fair – but it is what it is, and I work around it. Exercise and clean eating makes a ton of difference in the way that I feel on a daily basis, and it’s critical that I stay on top of both aspects of that to make it through the day.
Do you have an excuse? When I ran the San Francisco marathon in 2005, it was amazing. The feeling of accomplishment was awesome and running across the Golden Gate on that July morning was surreal. While training for that, I found out that I can do 5 miles just fine, but after that, I have to take off my shoes and walk on the pavement for about 2 mins to fix the shooting pain I get in my toes. Many trips to the podiatrist and expensive orthotics later, I still could only do 5 miles before having to take them off. It’s just the way my foot is built – nothing the Dr could do. So during the 26.2 mile run, I did that about 5 times throughout. Finishing fast wasn’t an option for me. There was a moment that I got frustrated and started to be irritated by this taking off my shoes process, and then I saw something that gave me lots of gratitude and humility. I was coming up to mile 10 and saw the ½ marathoners that had already finished. One of them had 1 leg, and a prosthetic for the other. My self pity went away, and I was quickly put back in my place. What an amazing person that didn’t let any excuses or disabilities slow her down.
Decide that you are not going to allow your excuses determine your health today. Take that first step towards creating a better life for yourself, and taking charge of your fitness. In the process, you will be a great example for your family, and those in your life. It’s always easier to “stay on a roll” than to get on a roll, but it only takes 21 days to create a habit. Go mark the calendar and decide that today is your day 1 of creating positive lifestyle changes that will lead to your success!
I love my job as a personal trainer, and am passionate about helping women lose weight anand change their lives through health and fitness. Our womens only bootcamp teaches you exercises that can be done at home – on travel – or anywhere you have a space! We use equipment that you won’t find in a gym (or maybe you will find it but don’t know what to do with it!) and it’s functional training. Meaning, it helps you in everyday life. Climbing the stairs is easier, holding a baby that feels like a sack of potatoes is easier, carrying loads of laundry is easier…all the fun stuff we get to do! lol. Bootcamp is a great way to shock your body and lose weight. In the process – you will meet great friends that are all women with a common goal…better health.
Decide today, Commit to your goals and let us help you succeed. Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp is the most fun fitness you will find in McKinny Texas. Also serving women from Frisco, Allen, Plano, Prosper and Dallas. We are indoors for the winter and out of the cold! Join us and start any Monday. Ready to commit?
Click here to visit our website for more info
Follow us on FB for daily trainer tips!
We tweet!
All exercises shown at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels - so you will always be working at your own level. One last thing...we DO NOT sell any type of supplements, vitamins, equipment or candles! (little sarchasm on that last one) I've been approached by many reps wanting me to do so, but I feel like my clients are here for a great workout, and not an infomercial. With our program, women get a free meal plan that was created by a registered dietician....we want you to do it the healthy way and will never push any product.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Why the scale lies...and why you should ditch it!
I continue to warn everyone that the scale is a springy, beady-eyed, lying menace.
We've been told over and over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can't bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence its readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.
Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body's water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don't understand what's happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto its water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.
Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. Thats why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners.
Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.
Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and its packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with its associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if youre prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.
Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything youve had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.
Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, its likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.
This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesnt necessarily mean that youve lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what youve lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when youre just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.
Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current.
If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. Its a matter of mind over scale.
- Article by Skwigg
We've been told over and over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can't bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence its readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.
Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body's water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don't understand what's happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto its water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.
Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. Thats why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners.
Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.
Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and its packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with its associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if youre prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.
Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything youve had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.
Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, its likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.
This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesnt necessarily mean that youve lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what youve lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when youre just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.
Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current.
If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. Its a matter of mind over scale.
- Article by Skwigg
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Top 5 Trainer Tips for the Holidays
So the holidays are upon us! This time of year is filled with parties and crazy busy schedules. All a recipe to crash your fitness...and gain the 5-7lbs that most Americans start the new year with. Here are your trainers top 5 tips to get you through the holidays! I tell my clients to shoot to MAINTAIN....and NOT GAIN. That's a more realistic approach and if you can do that, you're ahead of the game!
Tip 1: Plan your splurge. Those of you that know me, are fully aware that I don't eat "clean" 100% of the time. Life is more fun with a box of Milk Duds every now and then! The 90/10 rule still applies during Christmas. Eat well 90% of the time and 10% of the time do what you want...and you will be just fine. If you've got 2 parties to go to this week, decide ahead of time which party will be your day to indulge, and which one will be a little less decadent...then stick to it. A couple of ways to stick to it would be to avoid alcohol if it's there - so that you don't throw all your eating plans out the window...and eat a little before you go so you aren't starved when you get there.
Tip 2: Break a sweat for 30 mins every single day. No, that doesn't mean crank up the heater in the house either. Go for a power walk, do a workout DVD, hit the gym, come to bootcamp! If you've got no time to devote - do it in 10 minute chunks 3 times a day. Studies show that you will get the same benefit if you work hard enough in those intervals - as when you do it all at once. If you've got the time, crank that up to an hour and burn off that decadant splurge you had at that party last night!
Tip 3: Sneaky Substitution. There are sooooo many things you can substitute for the high fat stuff, that are still tasty and fun! Love starbucks? Swap your full fat latte for a Skinny Vanilla latte, and save yourself a ton of cals! Want a brownie? Get a box of cake mix and mix it with a can of pumpkin (and nothing else) bake for 25 mins and Voila - you have 1 pt (WW) brownies!!! (thank you, Sarah!) At Chick-Fil-A? Get a grilled chicken sandwhich rather than the fried ones, and have cole-slaw instead of fries...etc. You can eat healthy versions of your favorites and not see the number on the scale move in the wrong direction.
Tip 4: Find Accountability. If you are a client at Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp, you've already got it! Our trainers are all dedicated to your success and encourage our women to journal their food...and share it with us so we can suggest improvements if needed. Food journaling is a powerful tool in helping you know just what has gone down the hatch...so that you are on top of your day, calorie wise. If we aren't your trainer yet, find a friend that has similar goals over the holidays, and talk daily about it! Having a girlfriend in the same boat as you makes things a ton easier, and accountability can make the difference between eating a twinkie or an apple :)
Tip 5: Don't sweat the small stuff. So holidays are sort of crazy times that are busy and stressful as well. Try to decide that the traffic on the way to the mall isn't going to make you drive through Wendys for a Frosty and Fries. Emotional eating doesn't fill you up ~ it just makes you feel guilty afterwards but the stress is still there. Take some time out just for you each day ~ do some yoga breathing and maybe get a mani/pedi to relax and de-stress. Be good to yourself.
Our fitness boot camp, led by certified female trainers will get you through the holidays! Start on any Monday, and join us on the road to better health and fitness in a fun environment! McKinney locations for our womens only boot camp are all INDOORS for the winter! Get up. Get Out. Get Fit!
Check out our website
Like us on Facebook
Tip 1: Plan your splurge. Those of you that know me, are fully aware that I don't eat "clean" 100% of the time. Life is more fun with a box of Milk Duds every now and then! The 90/10 rule still applies during Christmas. Eat well 90% of the time and 10% of the time do what you want...and you will be just fine. If you've got 2 parties to go to this week, decide ahead of time which party will be your day to indulge, and which one will be a little less decadent...then stick to it. A couple of ways to stick to it would be to avoid alcohol if it's there - so that you don't throw all your eating plans out the window...and eat a little before you go so you aren't starved when you get there.
Tip 2: Break a sweat for 30 mins every single day. No, that doesn't mean crank up the heater in the house either. Go for a power walk, do a workout DVD, hit the gym, come to bootcamp! If you've got no time to devote - do it in 10 minute chunks 3 times a day. Studies show that you will get the same benefit if you work hard enough in those intervals - as when you do it all at once. If you've got the time, crank that up to an hour and burn off that decadant splurge you had at that party last night!
Tip 3: Sneaky Substitution. There are sooooo many things you can substitute for the high fat stuff, that are still tasty and fun! Love starbucks? Swap your full fat latte for a Skinny Vanilla latte, and save yourself a ton of cals! Want a brownie? Get a box of cake mix and mix it with a can of pumpkin (and nothing else) bake for 25 mins and Voila - you have 1 pt (WW) brownies!!! (thank you, Sarah!) At Chick-Fil-A? Get a grilled chicken sandwhich rather than the fried ones, and have cole-slaw instead of fries...etc. You can eat healthy versions of your favorites and not see the number on the scale move in the wrong direction.
Tip 4: Find Accountability. If you are a client at Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp, you've already got it! Our trainers are all dedicated to your success and encourage our women to journal their food...and share it with us so we can suggest improvements if needed. Food journaling is a powerful tool in helping you know just what has gone down the hatch...so that you are on top of your day, calorie wise. If we aren't your trainer yet, find a friend that has similar goals over the holidays, and talk daily about it! Having a girlfriend in the same boat as you makes things a ton easier, and accountability can make the difference between eating a twinkie or an apple :)
Tip 5: Don't sweat the small stuff. So holidays are sort of crazy times that are busy and stressful as well. Try to decide that the traffic on the way to the mall isn't going to make you drive through Wendys for a Frosty and Fries. Emotional eating doesn't fill you up ~ it just makes you feel guilty afterwards but the stress is still there. Take some time out just for you each day ~ do some yoga breathing and maybe get a mani/pedi to relax and de-stress. Be good to yourself.
Our fitness boot camp, led by certified female trainers will get you through the holidays! Start on any Monday, and join us on the road to better health and fitness in a fun environment! McKinney locations for our womens only boot camp are all INDOORS for the winter! Get up. Get Out. Get Fit!
Check out our website
Like us on Facebook
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
How much belly fat is dangerous...and what is Visceral fat?
Some people have pear-shaped bodies. They tend to hold most of their weight in their hips and thighs. People with apple-shaped bodies hold most of their weight in their bellies. They often have excesses of what is known as visceral or intra-abdominal fat as well as excess subcutaneous fat. How much is too much? The standard (Harvard) is if your waist measures more than 35" for a woman, and 40" for a man.
I happen to be one of the lucky "Apple" shaped people. So, if I gain weight, it heads straight for the belly. Thank you, MeeMaw. My sweet grandmother always said we were shaped like a frog, skinny arms and legs with a gut. Nice mental picture you have now :) I am constantly working (through clean eating and exercise) to make sure I don't give my body the option of carrying the dangerous visceral fat that will build in that area. So what is Visceral Fat and why should you be worried if your extra weight tends to build in that area?
Visceral fat is also referred to as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat and is located inside the abdominal cavity between the torso and internal organs.There is a strong correlation with abdominal fat and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and hypertension. It is the most dangerous place that a person can have fat because it suffocates the organs. The liver metabolizes fat and releases it into the bloodstream to form cholesterol. LDL (low density lipoprotein), labeled as the ‘bad fat’, builds up into plaque that then clogs the arteries.
Visceral fat has also been associated with insulin resistance. Abdominal fat is hormonally active and secretes a group of hormones called adipokines. These are cytokines (cell to cell signaling proteins) that may impair glucose intolerance. This predisposes the person for Diabetes Type 2 because increased obesity raises serum resistin levels which then in turn correlate to insulin resistance. It is abdominal fat that appears to be contributing to this increase in resistin levels. Serum levels have been shown to decline when visceral fat is reduced
The more visceral fat you carry around the higher your chances of developing insulin resistance (leading to type two diabetes), heart disease and other metabolic syndromes.
According to researchers from Duke University Medical Center, exercise can significantly reduce the amount of visceral fat you carry around. The more exercise you do, the more of this type of dangerous fat you will lose. Researchers in this study said that extra exercise can reverse the amount you have, while some moderate exercise can stop your visceral fat mounting up.
Eating a clean diet is absolutely IMPERATIVE to rid yourself of this belly fat. It's a common myth that you can "spot train" by doing crunches to get rid of the fat. It will only happen when you have adequate levels of cardio exercise, clean eating and strength training. Limiting alcohol, sugars and processed foods. Our trainers create fat blasting bootcamp workouts that will challenge you and our meal plan will take the guesswork out of what to eat! Contact us today, and get on your way to a healthy life with our women only bootcamps in Mckinney and Frisco Texas
Click here for our website
Find us on Facebook
I happen to be one of the lucky "Apple" shaped people. So, if I gain weight, it heads straight for the belly. Thank you, MeeMaw. My sweet grandmother always said we were shaped like a frog, skinny arms and legs with a gut. Nice mental picture you have now :) I am constantly working (through clean eating and exercise) to make sure I don't give my body the option of carrying the dangerous visceral fat that will build in that area. So what is Visceral Fat and why should you be worried if your extra weight tends to build in that area?
Visceral fat is also referred to as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat and is located inside the abdominal cavity between the torso and internal organs.There is a strong correlation with abdominal fat and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and hypertension. It is the most dangerous place that a person can have fat because it suffocates the organs. The liver metabolizes fat and releases it into the bloodstream to form cholesterol. LDL (low density lipoprotein), labeled as the ‘bad fat’, builds up into plaque that then clogs the arteries.
Visceral fat has also been associated with insulin resistance. Abdominal fat is hormonally active and secretes a group of hormones called adipokines. These are cytokines (cell to cell signaling proteins) that may impair glucose intolerance. This predisposes the person for Diabetes Type 2 because increased obesity raises serum resistin levels which then in turn correlate to insulin resistance. It is abdominal fat that appears to be contributing to this increase in resistin levels. Serum levels have been shown to decline when visceral fat is reduced
The more visceral fat you carry around the higher your chances of developing insulin resistance (leading to type two diabetes), heart disease and other metabolic syndromes.
According to researchers from Duke University Medical Center, exercise can significantly reduce the amount of visceral fat you carry around. The more exercise you do, the more of this type of dangerous fat you will lose. Researchers in this study said that extra exercise can reverse the amount you have, while some moderate exercise can stop your visceral fat mounting up.
Eating a clean diet is absolutely IMPERATIVE to rid yourself of this belly fat. It's a common myth that you can "spot train" by doing crunches to get rid of the fat. It will only happen when you have adequate levels of cardio exercise, clean eating and strength training. Limiting alcohol, sugars and processed foods. Our trainers create fat blasting bootcamp workouts that will challenge you and our meal plan will take the guesswork out of what to eat! Contact us today, and get on your way to a healthy life with our women only bootcamps in Mckinney and Frisco Texas
Click here for our website
Find us on Facebook
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Getting through the Holidays - Why Weight? Insight on weight loss from Texas Fit Chick bootcamp client, Sylvia
One of our clients Sylvia wrote this great blog that I wanted to share with you about the holidays and her own personal insight...I think you will enjoy it, and find it inspirational!
Why Weight?
It's that time again, people. You just finished eating the last of the Halloween candy and are starting to salivate over the Thanksgiving menu. You will load up you plate and go back for seconds as your stomach is screaming, "No more!" Then, there are the Christmas parties that begin the first weekend in December. Not to mention the frantic Christmas shopping. You are so rushed, you just grab something quick on the food court. Finally, Christmas comes along and it is a replay of Thanksgiving. As you are laying sprawled out on your couch, unbuttoning your pants, you begin hating yourself. You start listing your New Year's resolutions in your mind. If you are super motivated, you write them down. "December 1st brings a brand new me!"
I have to ask. Why are you waiting?
Last year, I began my 30+ pound weight loss the day after Thanksgiving. I got up on Black Friday and didn't hit the sales - I hit the gym. That feeling in a deserted gym brought on such pride that it was almost sinful. I felt liberated. I was liberated from that woman that sat on the couch depressed about the person she had become... The unhealthy, clinically overweight, lazy individual. It was time to ditch the excuses and do something... NOW. For me, that "now" was after a gluttonous Thanksgiving.
What is keeping you from taking action now? Why are you going to wait until the New Year? Think about how far ahead you will be if you start now? Don't be one of those people that says, "I'm going to do as much damage to myself through the holidays and start fresh on January 1st." DON'T BE THAT PERSON. Do not disrespect yourself enough to allow that to be your plan of action.
There are so many things you can do for yourself this holiday season. Decide to place smaller servings on your plate. To help you with this, switch your dinner plate for a lunch or salad plate. Take a walk around the neighborhood after the holiday meals. During your holiday shopping, put some healthy snacks in your purse to fend off the desire to hit that food court. Sip on water while you are looking for that perfect gift for Aunt Susie and you won't get into that hunger mode.
I am not only writing this for my readers, but for myself, too. This injury has had a bigger effect on me than I would like to admit. The cookies, the sodas, the hours of television watching are slowly morphing me into that woman I never wanted in my home again. So, I am taking action once again. I am starting NOW. When I sit down with my family on Thanksgiving, I will thank God for my health, my family and friends. I will also thank Him for giving me the strength to make this change. Will you be able to do the same?
Thanks for sharing that Sylvia!
At Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp, our trainers will guide you in a positive and motivating way to get you to your fitness goals. Exercising doesn't have to be something you dread anymore! Our female personal trainers make every workout fun and different, so your body never has a chance to plateau. We use things like Kettlebells, Stability Balls, BOSU trainers, resistance bands ~ and all are provided for you! Texas Fit Chicks also offers a nutritionist created 5 week meal plan to keep you on track with your eating, as well as free body comps before and after your 5 wk session. Formerly McKinney Boot Camps & Frisco Bootcamps, we are now Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp, and have been around serving women since July 2009.
If you are ready to jumpstart your fitness and workout with a trainer at a fraction of the cost ~ Visit our Website for more information! We allow you to start any Monday so no need to wait on a new camp to begin! You can also reach us at 972.984.9971
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and hope to see you soon!
Follow us on Facebook
We Tweet!
Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp. Serving women of Stonebridge Ranch, McKinney Texas. Frisco, Allen, Prosper, Plano, Dallas
Why Weight?
It's that time again, people. You just finished eating the last of the Halloween candy and are starting to salivate over the Thanksgiving menu. You will load up you plate and go back for seconds as your stomach is screaming, "No more!" Then, there are the Christmas parties that begin the first weekend in December. Not to mention the frantic Christmas shopping. You are so rushed, you just grab something quick on the food court. Finally, Christmas comes along and it is a replay of Thanksgiving. As you are laying sprawled out on your couch, unbuttoning your pants, you begin hating yourself. You start listing your New Year's resolutions in your mind. If you are super motivated, you write them down. "December 1st brings a brand new me!"
I have to ask. Why are you waiting?
Last year, I began my 30+ pound weight loss the day after Thanksgiving. I got up on Black Friday and didn't hit the sales - I hit the gym. That feeling in a deserted gym brought on such pride that it was almost sinful. I felt liberated. I was liberated from that woman that sat on the couch depressed about the person she had become... The unhealthy, clinically overweight, lazy individual. It was time to ditch the excuses and do something... NOW. For me, that "now" was after a gluttonous Thanksgiving.
What is keeping you from taking action now? Why are you going to wait until the New Year? Think about how far ahead you will be if you start now? Don't be one of those people that says, "I'm going to do as much damage to myself through the holidays and start fresh on January 1st." DON'T BE THAT PERSON. Do not disrespect yourself enough to allow that to be your plan of action.
There are so many things you can do for yourself this holiday season. Decide to place smaller servings on your plate. To help you with this, switch your dinner plate for a lunch or salad plate. Take a walk around the neighborhood after the holiday meals. During your holiday shopping, put some healthy snacks in your purse to fend off the desire to hit that food court. Sip on water while you are looking for that perfect gift for Aunt Susie and you won't get into that hunger mode.
I am not only writing this for my readers, but for myself, too. This injury has had a bigger effect on me than I would like to admit. The cookies, the sodas, the hours of television watching are slowly morphing me into that woman I never wanted in my home again. So, I am taking action once again. I am starting NOW. When I sit down with my family on Thanksgiving, I will thank God for my health, my family and friends. I will also thank Him for giving me the strength to make this change. Will you be able to do the same?
Thanks for sharing that Sylvia!
At Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp, our trainers will guide you in a positive and motivating way to get you to your fitness goals. Exercising doesn't have to be something you dread anymore! Our female personal trainers make every workout fun and different, so your body never has a chance to plateau. We use things like Kettlebells, Stability Balls, BOSU trainers, resistance bands ~ and all are provided for you! Texas Fit Chicks also offers a nutritionist created 5 week meal plan to keep you on track with your eating, as well as free body comps before and after your 5 wk session. Formerly McKinney Boot Camps & Frisco Bootcamps, we are now Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp, and have been around serving women since July 2009.
If you are ready to jumpstart your fitness and workout with a trainer at a fraction of the cost ~ Visit our Website for more information! We allow you to start any Monday so no need to wait on a new camp to begin! You can also reach us at 972.984.9971
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and hope to see you soon!
Follow us on Facebook
We Tweet!
Texas Fit Chicks bootcamp. Serving women of Stonebridge Ranch, McKinney Texas. Frisco, Allen, Prosper, Plano, Dallas
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