141 Days Until Summer

Are you Committed?!?  Summer will be here on a Saturday, 4 months and 22 days from today!!!  I am giving it hell to look better this Summer than I did last!  We are almost to February and with that being said…..who made New Years Res. goals to get fit and healthy?  We have been at it for one month.  You should be able to see small changes happening in one month.  If you don't, could you be better with you diet?  Could you push yourself harder with your weights?  Could you give a little more on your cardio?  Could you drink more water?  Re-Evaluate your lifestyle and make some adjustments.  Don't just go through the motions!

Binge Eating

I am not talking a 'Cheat Meal' here…...those are actually good for you 1-2 times a week.  I'm talking a cheat meal that doesn't stop at that one meal.  A cheat meal turned into cheat day.  I'm not perfect and will be the first to admit I am guilty of it.  Processed food was not made to only eat one.  Who can just eat one chip?  One cheezit? One fudge stripe Keebler cookie?  Processed food is addicting.  A good old binge can derail you from your healthy diet just like that!  Or the kind where you turn on your favorite TV show or movie, sit down with some pizza, maybe some chips and salsa (I could eat chips and salsa all day), then something sweet sounds good so you get some ice cream and then the snacks just don't stop.  It all just tastes so yummy, but you probably just ate your whole days worth of calories in that one sitting.  Remember, anything close to 3500 calories is equivalent of one pound.  More than likely, that pound is going to be stored as fat.  You just undid a great week of healthy eating.

Next time you are in this situation, you can either:

(A) Binge Eat- be happy now that you are eating delicious food, but then feel bad after the guilt sets in.

(B) Eat a healthy snack instead- feel sad now (possibly) because you feel deprived, but feel happy about your good decision later.

Either way, you are going to be both happy and sad about your decision.  But if you choose option B, you're going to look better and be healthier tomorrow and that much closer to your goals.
Choose wisely.

GIVE IT TIME!

One mistake people make is never giving a training program or a new healthy lifestyle any time to start working!!!  Often times, people say they have been eating healthy and been in the gym for a couple months, and even some say they have tried out EVERYTHING and nothing ever works….

Trust me, being patient is HARD when it comes to this stuff.  Being patient is actually the KEY to this whole fitness stuff. Consistency is another key that is just as important if not more!  If you keep changing your training techniques and nutrition plan, everyday, you will struggle to get positive results!  If you are lifting weights, yes it is good to change up your routine or order.  I am talking about  those who lift weights for 1-2 weeks and feel or see no difference so they resort to no weights at all.  Then they try yoga or a spin class for a couple weeks and don't get immediate results from those so they try something else.  It's great to have a set routine and throw these different types of exercise in every now and then.  Don't just stop one to try another after a few attempts of no results.  It takes time. 

Some people expect results from visiting the gym 3 times in one week and get frustrated that they don't see any defined muscles to show for their hard work from those 3 training sessions.  Some people  expect after the 5th healthy meal of the day that their body fat should be down 10% and the scale should say the same.  Wouldn't that be awesome though?!?  It takes time.  

We can't whine about the fat on our butt, thighs, stomach or elsewhere melting away too slow.  We need to remember that most of that we are trying to lose has been there for many many years.  Even if you have always been small and recently gained some weight, those fat cells did exist prior to the weight gain.  The cells just grew in numbers and/or got larger.  They were always there.  So you cannot expect something that has been there for years to just diminish with a few healthy meals and a couple gym sessions.  

IT TAKES TIME!!!

Give your healthy eating and fitness plan a chance to show you it works!  I'm not talking a few weeks or even a few months.  Sometimes it can take up to one year to be where you want to be.  Along the way you will enjoy small victories and even some big ones.  But just imagine if you keep going after reaching a small victory for another 6 months to a year what your body could be capable of showing you.

GIVE IT TIME!!!

Am I getting old?

Sometimes I feel pretty good and my cardio workouts don't suck!!  Other times during them I wonder if I am just getting old, JK!!!  Being my last workout of the week my body is pretty beat.  So this Saturday was a little more challenging than I was use to.  Give it a try!

When I Travel

When I still have one workout left in the week and I am going to be out of town, I always make sure I am prepared.  I really try to never miss a workout.  I find out ahead of time if where I am going has a gym.  Being a member of Golds Gym I have access to any gym in any state.  If I am headed to somewhere outdoors (Flaming Gorge being a place we go often which does not have any gym whatsoever nearby) I have to plan a little differently.  I prepare first with packed workout clothes for the gym or outdoors.  I make sure to have my chargeables charged like my garmin, polar watch and iPod if I plan to use them.  Then this little shaker bottle comes in handy.  I recently got this at Costco.  I have other shaker bottles but none of them had compartments.  So I either had to pack my tubs of supplements or put them in baggies.  Same with my vitamins.  

In compartment #1 of my shaker is my pre-workout.  I am not a die hard and have to take pre-workout every single day.  I do love it for leg day though.  Those days can be rough!!!  This pre-workout is by Cellucor and it's called N-Zero Extreme.  I am LOVING this.  I love it for the no creatine and no sugar.  I do love C4 by Cellucor too but it contains creatine and N-Zero is great to give your body a little break from the creatine.  I take this first thing when I wake up.  20-30 minutes before I start my workout.  In the sandwich baggie are my beloved BCAAs by Cellucor.   The most important supplement I take.  Helps with endurance, muscle recovery and people like me who train on an empty stomach.  I sip on these during my workout to help with breakdown of muscle in a fasted state.  They are watermelon flavor.

Here is a little more on BCAAs….. or branched-chain amino acids are among the nine essential amino acids that the body is unable to make, meaning they must be ingested through food or supplements.  Probably my most favorite supplement!  An abundance of evidence shows BCAAs can support liver health, prevent diabetes, boost your brain, improve mood, decrease depression, and are essential for longevity and aging as well.  BCAAs should also be taken to stay lean, increase fat burning, get strong, recover faster, and have a greater work capacity.  I take BCAAs whenever I am doing a fasted workout to help prevent any hard earned muscle being lost.  I take BCAAs post workout as well.  I can also say that when I take BCAAs I am significantly less sore 48 and 72 hours after training.

In compartment #2 is vitamins. 

Fish Oil- A fatty acid supplement.fish oil consists of essential two omega-3 fatty acids.  To get technical they are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).  One of the best supplements you can probably take.  It provides such a wide variety of functions for the body that fight and prevent serious illnesses and help stimulate fat loss.

Raspberry Ketones-  are a fat loss aid that breaks up fat in the cells making it easier for your body to burn fat faster.  It has also been shown to aid the metabolism.

Garcinia Cambogia- (HCA) this is what Dr. Oz called the "Holy Grail of Weight loss" It works as a dual action fat buster. #1 it suppresses the appetite and #2 it prevents fat from being made. It acts as a fat blocker which meaning fat cell will not be permitted to form.  This leaves excess fat that you take in nowhere to store inside the body, meaning it passes through your system more rapidly.  Trust me it really does..... if you know what I mean. It also helps with emotional eaters because the supplement has been shown to cause an increase in serotonin levels.  This helps to balance out mood swings and help with symptoms of stress and depression.  HCA can also manage the levels of cortisol in your body, a 
hormone that is directly tied to stress levels. 

Biotin- is something I just started taking.  It supports skin, hair and nails.  So we shall see!

Multi- A good multi vitamin is a must!  You can do your best at trying to get minerals and vitamins from good food sources but chances are we are not getting enough and a good multi vitamin can help fill those holes.  Being deficient in certain micronutrients can cause low energy levels, immune system deficiencies, and keep us from gaining muscle and losing fat.  Choose a multi that has 100% of the daily recommendation for Zinc, Chromuim, Copper, C, E, D and B-Complex.

CLA- Is a great fat loss aid which stands for Conjugated linoleic acid. This is another fatty acid supplement.  Omega-6 which is very good for you.  It has been proven to boost metabolism, promote fat loss, muscle growth and strength gains.

In compartment #3 is my post workout.  I like to use Whey Protein powder by Cellucor.  This flavor happens to be Cinnamon Swirl.  One of my favorites of the 7 flavors they have available. 

All Cellucor products can be found on www.cellucor.com and you can use my code: HALEYA at checkout to get yourself 20% off your purchase.  If you take the extra 2 minutes to make an account so next time you order you just log in you also get free shipping with that code.  Other non Cellucor products/supplements I get at health food stores.  Good Earth/Sprouts etc.

SHOULDERS, my next favorite to train!

Other than legs, shoulders are my next favorite area to train.  Today's Shoulder and Ab workout:

SHOULDERS:

BB upright row

Arnold presses

Bent over rear delt raise

SUPERSET:

DB lateral raise

DB front raise

ABDOMINALS:

Plate side bends

Russian twist

Bicycle crunch

Reverse crunch

*30 Minutes steady state cardio*

Healthy Is Not The Same For Everyone

We are each our own person!  My healthy may not be your healthy and vice versa.  My healthy eating can be different from your healthy eating.  My idea of fitness can be different from your idea of fitness. Do whatever is HEALTHY to YOU and use others version of HEALTHY only to give you ideas and motivate/inspire you to become a better YOU, not a better them!

Cardio on Saturdays

This is usually what my Saturdays look like.  A couple years ago my sister and I found great treadmill routines on Pinterest that we liked and printed them off, laminated and hooked together with a key ring thing.  That's it.  So easy!!  There are routines of all kinds in there.  Some varying between 15-60 mins, all walking, all running, a little of both, some play around with inclines, steady paces or HIIT.  It's great because you can look through your options and pick a routine based off how your body is feeling that day or what kind of mood you are in.  The routine in the picture on the right is one of my favorites but HOLY HELL it is NOT easy!!!  I do it when I really want to kick my own ass.  Today was one of those days.  

Just wanted to share this idea we came up with.  It sure makes treadmill running a lot funner!!

Friday FREE Day

For the first 4 weeks of my Fit Happens in 12- Week training program Friday is a free day for you to choose any area that you feel could use a little more work.  The program has you covered by hitting every major muscle Mon-Thurs.  Friday is a free day to take off from weights or choose an area and do extra work.

This Friday some friends and decided that Glutes can always use a little extra work.  There were 5 of us training.  We chose 4 glute specific exercises and one rest station.  We each take a turn at each spot and rotate through.  We did the following glute exercises 4 times through:

Smith Machine Glute Kick Backs x10 each leg

Exercise Ball Glute Bridges/hip thrusters with weight plate on lap x20

Hip abductor machine (heavy and lean over) x20

Fire walks with a band 

Healthy Southwest Scramble

This Stair Master cardio routine will always kick my butt….ALWAYS!  The steady pace needs to not be casual.  Bump it up a notch!  There are two brands of Stair Masters at the gym I use.  On one brand the levels go from 1-20, on this SM I put my level between 11-12.  On the other brand the level allows you to exceed 100+ for this SM I put the level at 100.  They seem to be equivalent in speeds.  This is great and works those outer thighs.  HAVE FUN!!

For the Healthy Southwest Scramble:

1 whole egg

3 egg whites

spinach

green/red bell peppers

mushrooms

Mrs. Dash to season

SCRAMBLE IT ALL UP. 

ENJOY

Increase Fat Use With BCAAs

Cellucor's BCAAs are my favorite supplement.  Not only does it taste amazing, but nothing helps with soreness (besides foam rolling/stretching) like branched-chain amino acids do.  As you can see from the article in one of the fitness magazines I read, it can also help boost fatty acid use for fuel! I love it for the energy it gives me and all those essential amino acids that must be consumed in our diets.  

This particular BCAA comes in powder form.  I drink one scoop in my water bottle during my workout and then I sip on one scoop making it last throughout the rest of my day.  

You can get some BCAAs too and other fabulous supplements, like their Whey Protein Powder in 7 different flavors on the cellucor website-  www.cellucor.com You can get 20% off your total purchase when you use my code HALEYA at checkout.  If you make an account on the site you will also get free shipping….. if not, shipping is $5.00.

30-Minute Pyramid Treadmill Workout

If you love to hop on a treadmill and just run, try this Pyramid Workout to spice things up.  Changing up your pace is great for the body and makes things go by faster!  It will also make you a better runner.  This is challenging yet very doable.  If you are a hard core runner this might not be challenging enough.  But the MPH's are just suggestions.  Make it faster or slow it down if you need less or more.  This will give you a little over 3.0 miles when finished.

Earn That Body

I'm earning mine…..How about you?!  Day 1 of my 12 Week Training Program done- Back/Biceps/20- Minutes HIIT Cardio.  Now on to a gallon of water, stretching and clean eating!  JOIN ME in my 12-Week Training Program.  Upper right hand corner of my blog!

#FITHAPPENS

GO SLOW!

When most want to lose weight, we want it NOW right?!  All of sudden you cut calories drastically and start exercising hard core out of no where and our bodies respond like- "Holy Shit, what is happening?!" And at the end of week one you have already lost 6 pounds and feel super awesome!!!  Your body is shedding the easy stuff like water and then muscle trying to keep up with the new change.  It's not letting go of one ounce of fat because it is scared as hell that this new change is trying to kill/starve you!  Usually it's a lifestyle change that we can't keep up with.  Who can give up pizza, cookies, diet coke, ice cream etc., we shouldn't have to!

We should be able to figure out a way to live flexible and have a healthy relationship with food.  That's the key to long term success!  We need to find a way to make a healthy lifestyle change that we can stick with for the rest of our lives.  

I am totally guilty of cutting out my favorite treats too much.  It only leads to over indulging when the time is convenient….Weekends, Halloween to New Years.  Before I know it, my pants are tight, I've gained X amount of pounds and I am right back where I was last January fighting my way back to a Summer body.  It doesn't take long to re-gain it!  But like the Fit Tip says, GO SLOW!!!  We should aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week.  Anything more than that and you are setting yourself up for weight regain!  Slow weightless requires patience and consistency.  In the long run you are more likely to get results that matter!  Results you will be proud of!

Cardio is a Fat Loss Tool

How many much cardio should we be doing?  You hear people say, 1 hour a day to lose weight and there are others who look fabulous without doing a single minute of cardio.  Then those who say to keep the heart rate in the fat burning zone and some who say HIIT cardio is the best way to shed fat….Which is it?

Cardio is simply one of the many tools to lose fat.  

Cardio is a tool for creating calorie deficit.

That is very important information!!  It is just one way of creating calorie deficit.  There a hundreds of other ways to create a deficit and burn calories.  Strength training, sports, walking, vacuuming, chasing your kids around, etc….. The other way that we all know is through diet.  

The biggest mistake people make is making cardio #1 on the list when trying to lose weight.  Fat loss and a cardio machine is like bread and butter for some people.  Believing you can't have one without the other should not be the case.  You have to know that hopping on a cardio machine will do very little to build muscle.  Building muscle should be your first action if fat loss is your goal.  You don't just want to lose weight.  You want to lose fat.  You will lose 20 pounds of weight being a cardio queen but you must remember that in that 20 pounds was also a good chunk of muscle loss too.  We should all want to keep what muscle we have.  Muscle is what gives us shape.  Muscle is what gives you that "toned" look.  Muscle is what makes us look and feel lean in our clothes.  Clothes like to be snug against muscle much more than they like to be snug against fat.  The more muscle we have the more calories you burn throughout your day.  So if fat loss is the goal, why not kill two birds with one stone and keep your muscle, build some muscle and burn calories?!?  Weight training will do wonders for your figure more than a treadmill ever will.

Weight training should be the core of any weight loss program.  Adding in cardio is just an extra tool to  to create an additional deficit.  Remember it is just one of many tools too.

There is no need for dreaded long cardio every day.  Can you really sustain an hour of cardio every single day for as long as you want to remain active?  Choose something that you can sustain for a lifetime.  Next, adjust your food/diet to reach your goals.  If you want to lose weight eat less, gain weight eat more.  Most of your calorie deficit should come from your diet.  Not wasting away on a cardio machine.

As always, cardio is always great for the heart!  And so is any kind of physical activity.  Anything done with intensity to get your heart rate up like strength training when done with intensity, will not only build you some muscle AND burn calories but it also improves your cardiovascular system.  All your cardiovascular system wants/needs is for you to give it some sort of attention.  That doesn't have to be 1 hour of cardio a day on the treadmill or bike.  Your system doesn't know if you're running, biking, walking, chasing your 2 year old, or lifting weights.  All it recognizes is the stress that it is under and need to work hard to keep up.  And your system will appreciate you for making it stronger.

Let's Workout

Do you have plans this year to be fit and healthier?  Let me help you 1:1 or bring a friend.  Or you can have my 12-Week Training Program that is split into 4 week muscle building phases to get you Summer ready.  The program can be purchased right here on my blog in the upper right hand corner.  I also cover FAQ's and give more detail on what the program is in a previous blog post that you can find here: 12-Week Training Program

Email me with any questions you have.

Change Helps

Sometimes you have to change things up to make progress.  Our bodies are so smart!  They adapt really fast and get used to things it is exposed to if its even for just a few times.  Your body will not need to exert that much energy if its used to the task it is doing.  So changing up your routine to throw your body off will keep it guessing and working hard.  Switching up your workouts also prevents injury and keeps things interesting and you can learn a lot about things your body can or cannot do.  Change your routine by switching up how heavy you are lifting, the pace of an exercise or your rep/set count.  Increasing the weight but lower the number of reps one day.  Then for the next, use lower weight but add on an extra set.  You can also use your average weight and do more reps but faster.  Even just  changing the order of your exercises does the trick.
I know sometimes we like to do the harder moves first to get them over with and it helps because you are fresh and not tired yet.  But next time save that hard exercise for last…..Squats at the end of your leg routine, KILLER!!!

Hydration to the RESCUE!

Oh baby, especially after some of your New Years Eve shenanigans!!!  We should be drinking more water than we think we should.  Drinking water is like putting oil in your car- it runs a lot better when it has the proper amount.  If you have ever noticed your energy level differs throughout the day, your first  instinct should be to ask…..What and how much have I had to drink today?  Especially if you are a coffee drinker in the AM and have a few alcoholic drinks at night usually those drinks are not replaced with enough fluids to regain normal hydration.  And did you know you also lose a lot of body water at night every time you exhale?

Water also makes up 90% of our bodies and two thirds of our total body weight.  That is also why you should never let the number on the scale define you.

Ice cold water first thing in the morning will naturally boost your metabolism.  Then from there on out it  should be your goal to drink at least 4 bottles of water a day.  Especially if you are changing your lifestyle to a healthy and fit one.  My goal for myself and it should be yours too is to aim for one gallon of water per day.