Fitness Friday-Articles of the Week

Much of the diet and fitness advice that is portrayed over and over again is often over-hyped and full of misinformation.  That's the problem.  We blindly follow whatever diet is trendy and in the news, thinking this just might be the one that takes you to the promised land of losing weight.
But what ends up happening?  You don't, or you do for a short period of time and then plateau and/or gain it back.  It's often a simple but not easy solution, however its not one that sells, its not full of hype, and it certainly won't be a screaming headline.  It's about making smarter choices, not eating crap, and not falling into extremes of eating less/exercising more.  Check this out for more detail:
Fat Loss Mistakes- Adam Bornstein

In addition to those nutrition mistakes that we all fall prey to, there are several mistakes people, in particular women, make when walking into a gym to work out.  Among them, not lifting heavy enough, being obsessed over training abs, and overdoing cardio/aerobics.
10 Mistakes in the Gym

Carbs are made to be the enemy when it comes to fat loss, when in fact they are an essential part of your nutrition plan, especially if you are active.  Cutting carbs down to really low levels can be more detrimental to your success than you may think, and here are 5 signs you should be taking in more.
More Carbs?

Lastly, because I want to educate and make you aware of the garbage, quick fix, nonsense that gets promoted, I want you to avoid this "thigh gap" obsession.  Thigh gap is not a matter of fat for the most part.
It is usually due to hip width, which is entirely your skeletal structure, which is largely genetics.  Don't get wrapped up in the hype.
Thigh Gap BS

Motivational Monday

"We cannot get what we've never had, unless we're willing to do what we've never done." -Brian Tracy


Sometimes you have to take a different path to get what you want the most.  Maybe you've tried diet X or workout Z, and it didn't work.
Maybe you are at the point that you are fed up and want to give up because "nothing" has worked.  But have you tried everything?

My guess is that you have not tried everything and you are just spinning your wheels jumping from one thing to the next because you aren't seeing "immediate" results.  The thing about following a nutrition plan or an exercise program is that it takes time.  It's a plan that you have to follow for the long term.  It's not a quick fix because there are no quick fixes.

This is your life, this is your health.  Why would you want to take a quick approach to your health?  Do you plan on only living for a short while longer?  If so, then go for it.  But I'm thinking that you plan on living for a little while longer, so why not take a sustained approach, one that can and will last you for the rest of your life.

You want to get in shape, you want to look great, you want to be healthy and move better.  But in order to get there, you may have to sacrifice, you may have to put in some work, you may have to take a different approach.  One that takes a little longer.  If you invest in yourself, i promise, in the long run, it'll be worth it.

Fitness Friday

Have you ever wondered if those meal replacements work for you?  They probably would in the short term, but over the long haul, they don't seem like a sustainable diet.  Do you know what goes into those meal replacement shakes?  Do you know the exact ingredients?
This is a great look inside the world of meal replacements:
Meal Replacements

We've all heard that we have to stay in the "Fat Burning Zone." That specific target heart rate in which the body utilizes more fat than carbohydrates.  It's just garbage.  It's not about a certain time period, say the 30 minutes you did on the treadmill.  It's about fat burning over the course of the day, or weeks.
The Fat Burning Zone

There are certain foods that are packed with nutrients that your body needs to stimulate fat loss. When you body has certain deficiencies, it makes it harder for fat loss to occur.  Try some of these foods to get an added boost.
Top Ten Nutrients


Sometimes we're on the run and we get caught up in work, school, kids, etc that we don't have time to fit in a workout or a trip to the gym.  Luckily there is a list of 50 great exercises in which you only need your body weight.  Give 'em a try!!
Bodyweight Exercises

Motivational Monday

"People are like sticks of dynamite.  The power is on the inside, but nothing happens until the fuse gets lit."
-Mac Anderson

What is it going to take to light your fuse?  What is it going to take for you to unleash that inner power that is staying dormant?  You are full of so much potential, you have the ability to do anything.  Find that fuse, find that one thing that is going to give you that push towards greatness.

Fitness Friday-Articles of the Week

Exercise is important.  But do you have a healthy relationship with it?  Do you look at exercise in a positive light?  Or do you look at it as punishment for your "eating sins?"  Find that balance between doing nothing and obsessing over how much you exercise.
#2 and #3 are my favorites on this list because I don't think people realize the benefits of "off days."  As a trainer, I can honestly say I train myself 4 times a week, using the other 3 as rest/recovery days to work on mobility, foam rolling, stretching etc.
I like #3 because I just eat.  I don't think about x,y, and z.  I eat because I know that if I don't, my training sessions will suffer, my strength gains will suffer, and I wont progress as much as I want.
What's your relationship with exercise?

Oh the myths of the exercise and fitness world!!  There are so many.  My favorites in this list are 1, 2 & 10. Fat and carbs are not the enemy.  Demonizing one particular nutrient just creates a void in your nutritional strategy and will lead to deficiencies.  Did you know that in order to absorb calcium, you need to consume fat?  

#10 I've stressed over and over and over again till I'm blue in the face.

THE SCALE DOES NOT MATTER!!

My question for you, that I'm stealing from Jessie Mundell, is if you stayed the exact same weight you are now, but your body looked exactly how you want it to look, would that be OK?  Would you be happy?

Think on that!!

10 Health Myths

Are you a Zombie?  Or a nutritional zombie?  Are you getting drained by restricting yourself from everything thinking its the only way? It's not.  Nutrition isn't as complicated as we all make it out to be.  All the "eat this, not that" nonsense.  Eat Food.  Not BS shakes or following the next fad whatever.  Be simple in your approach and you'll be much happier.

Zombie Nutrition

Don't believe all the hype that you see on infomercials touting the next big thing to help you lose weight. Odds are the results are bogus, and the behind the scenes stuff is insane.  For one, the before and after pictures are totally fake and staged.  All it takes is better lighting, better posture, and wearing different kinds of clothes.  I can make a killer before and after picture just by changing how I stand and my facial expression.  Don't believe everything you read/see.
Reality behind weight loss ads

Motivational Monday

'You have power over your mind-not outside events.  Realize this and you will find strength."
Marcus Aurelius

No matter what, you control everything that happens in your mind.  You can either stay and fight for what you want, or you can give up and quit.
When the strong have nothing left, they fight!!
When the weak have nothing left, they quit, give in, & surrender!!

Which one are you going to be?

Fitness Friday

We all love the Burpee!!  It's that full body, fun exercise that just puts a smile on everyone's face.  Oh wait, nope!  Its the exact opposite of that.  Where did your trainer come up with such an evil exercise?  Probably deep down, in that sick, twisted part of their brain.
Burpee

How many of you have anxiety or panic attacks about going out to a restaurant to eat?  It doesn't have to be that complicated if you don't make it to be.  They key is having a plan of action.  Avoiding going out to restaurants is just crazy & unrealistic.  Try some of these alternative plans for the next time you go out.
Dieting at Restaurants

Tips on losing weight come from everywhere.  Everyone seems to have an opinion and sometimes they can be conflicting.  Out of 25 experts, the few consistencies among them were drinking plenty of water & eating clean, whole, real foods.  Keep it simple!
Tips on losing weight

One of our goals is to educate and there is no further evidence that it is needed when talking about "detoxes" or "cleanses."  First off, there is no real need to do either.  You have a liver!  End of story.  If you really want to detox, eat real foods, avoid processed food, drink more water(hmmm a theme) & exercise.
Read this for more information gains.  Detox?

Motivational Monday

Nothing is impossible.  You have a dream, a goal, go get it.  Don't let any obstacles stand in your way.
I dare you to watch this video and not have any sort of reaction.

Push yourself past what you think your limits are.  Surprise yourself.

Fitness Friday

Article of the Week:

Fat Loss Lies- Abs are made in kitchen.  Fat loss will not happen over night, and it will not react on whims of the day to day.  It is a process, a journey.  The worst thing you could do is to be impatience with the process.  That moment when you are about to give up, that's most likely the moment that everything will happen for you.

There is so much that goes into fat loss. If you want to read the exact mechanisms that go into it, read on here.
Its more than just eat less and exercise more, and that strategy could set you up to fail.

Hidden Sugar: Sugar hides in just about everything we eat.  We try to stay away from sugar as much as possible, shunning cookies and cakes, but there are other places where sugar hides.

Fit It In:  I get it, there are times when you don't want to work out.  Sometimes there's not enough hours in the day.  There are, however, many ways to get your workout in, if you apply some strategies.  




Weekend Workout Tip:
Stop stressing about everything.  Find your goals, and design a plan to reach your goals.  Make sure it's specific and it is realistic.  The more you focus on every little thing, the more you are going to drive yourself crazy.  You cant control everything, why start now.