Fad Diets: Why they don't work!

Fad diets come and go. Whether or not you've tried them I'm sure you've heard of them. Atkins, Cabbage soup, Lemon juice, SlimFast, the list goes on and on. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal talks about diets and how if most people just ate a normal balanced meal they would feel satisfied and would not overeat. Check out the article and tell me what you think.

Hungry? Your Stomach Really Does Have a Mind of Its Own

My New Favorite Snack!

Greek yogurt is high in protein, which provides a steady supply of energy, helping your brain stay charged all morning. Protein also increases levels of epinephrine and dopamine, two chemicals that make you more alert. The carbs in the cereal give you a dose of glucose, which gets you going. Blueberries are potent antioxidants that have been shown to spur brain-cell production and help improve memory. Referenced from Yahoo! Shine.

This particular brand has just about every flavor you can imagine. Try it! 

Gospel Workout Playlist

These songs have been very uplifting and have enough energy to keep me moving.

Giants - Donald Lawrence and Tri City

Your Love is a Wonder- Fred Hammond

Hold On- Tye Tribbet & G.A.

Hallelujah Is the Highest Praise- Dynamic Praise

Follow You- James Fortune & FIYA

Incredible- Mary Mary

I Smile-Kirk Franklin

Hold Out- Hezekiah Walker & LFC

I Will Bless The Lord- Byron Cage

Work on Me- Tonex

Endow Me- Coko cooldown <--- This is my testify, praise, worship, ready to have church song! Seriously I can listen to this anytime, anywhere and it still has the same effect. Powerful!

Putting together this playlist was way more fun than I expected. There will be more Gospel Playlists to come!

Mother Nature and My Workout

For years I would not exercise during that dreaded time (yes that's how I feel about it!) of the month. I have found that the more consistent my workout schedule is the easier that time is for me. So instead of skipping my workouts on those days I have felt more inclined to make sure I complete them. I came across an article on shape.com (my favorite fitness magazine!) for all those who suffer during those few days and need some moves that will ease your muscles and help you to relax and possibly get through a workout.

10 Moves to Ease the Symptoms of PMS

This is why I'm passionate about health and fitness.

I came across an article on yahoo.com and it took me back to the reason that I became passionate about health and fitness. Even if I never make any money from fitness this will still be my passion. Many diseases, including forms of cancer, joint problems, depression and many others can be caused my an unhealthy lifestyle. Obesity is truly a disease. Everyone has a choice, one life and one body. Cherish it.

Check out the article.

User Post: How I Woke Up One Morning THIS Fat ? - Healthy Living on Shine

 

FIT Person Award for August

Its been a while since I have highlighted a FIT Person of the Month. Sorry for the delay but wait no longer..

Natasha Charles is our FIT Person for August! She is being highlighted because I believe she is someone that many women can relate to. She has gone from being active, to having a baby and dealing with post baby weight, to running in local races! Here is her story in her own words.

In short, my journey has gone from one of maintaining fitness pre baby to one of weight loss post baby (2 years on!) I never thought it would have been difficult to 'snap back' and in a sense this journey has had its challenges. I have gone from 3 hrs, five days a week in the gym to a minimum of one hour with a toddler in tow or demanding attention or trying to sit on my back while I do pushups or rolling on her soccer ball trying to mimic the abdominal exercise she would see me do on the stability ball. All funny when you think about it really....

I have found running to be my best friend and the city of Chicago with its scenic lakefront and varying running paths provides ample opportunity for this. I have opted to participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon because it is an event I have always said I'd do one day (October 9th) as well as to continue on the journey mentioned above.

In the last year I have finished several 5k's, 10k's and a 10 miler . I am still getting the hang of a 'runner's diet' and the concept of a proper running form ( which becomes increasingly important the more mileage you rack up) My 1st half marathon was on Aug. 15 th. Until then, I'm gonna keep on running. :)

Please feel free to send me your fitness story!

Training Like Ali

Today I brought my client to train with another fellow trainer, Tori Solomon. The focus was on boxing along with a mix of cardio and resistance exercise.

 

 Boxers are some the best trained athletes. Boxing incorporates cardio and resistance exercises. Boxing helps you control your breathing and balance. Jumping rope, weight training and running (even up stairs like Rocky) are some of the exercises that boxers use to strengthen their bodies. 

I love Muhammad Ali! When I feel like I cannot do anything I post one of his pictures as the background of my phone or computer for motivation. 

Visualize

I have vision board at home to inspire me to keep working to achieve my goals. I have a separate area for my fitness goals. Here is just an idea of what I have. I would love to have bodies like these women, toned but they still look like women. Even though I may not get to workout everyday having a constant reminder in my daily path helps me think about working to get there. Let me know what you think!

Officially a Personal Trainer!! Check me out!!

I am a officially a Personal Trainer now! Now I can add it to my goals accomplished in the fitness world. So in honor of this achievement I am offering one month of training (4 sessions) for only $10 to the first 3 people  who contact me. This offer is only limited to those in the Atlanta area.

**Please note that this will not be first time training clients. I have always done so but I just haven't been certified. My minor in college was in Fitness and Wellness so I had a basic understanding of the information.

Also I'm still trying to find a place to host Zumba classes. I will post about it as soon as those are set up.

Let's see who wins these discounted training sessions!

The Scale is a Liar!!!

Most people determine goals achieved in weight loss based on the number on the scale. It is more often a combination of weight, inches, lean muscle mass and body fat percentage. I tell the clients that I train to see if there is a change in how their clothes fit. I suggest not stepping on the scale weekly. I would suggest once a month at the most.

If you are incorporating resistance exercise into your workout routine you are going to be building muscle mass. Muscle is denser than fat and that can initially cause the number on the scale to go up rather than down.
Even though muscle is denser than fat it takes up less space so you will be able to notice a difference in your clothing.

The number on the scale is not the only determining factor on whether or not you are making progress. It is one of the many tools that you can use to help you achieve your goals.

More posts coming soon and Stone Mtn Park!

I'm sorry I have been MIA lately. I've been so busy training clients and trying to hide from Atlanta's scorching heat that I haven't been able to post. Also access to a computer is a constant problem. Anyway I have some new posts coming very soon. Look out for them.

Also my new favorite rediscovery... Stone Mountain Park trail.. the one that goes up the mountain. I love it up there. Next time I'll take a picture of the view for you. I hope you're finding time to get active.

Childhood Obesity

Michelle Obama has been on a campaign to fight childhood obesity in this country. A problem that has been growing right before our eyes. Forget statistics! Look around and you will see this difference in generations.

For children the CDC recommends, for ages 6 to 17 years of age, 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily. Muscle strengthening at least 3 days a week, such as push-ups or gymnastics. Also bone strengthening is important for children because they are still growing. Some activities that increase bone strength include jumping rope or running. The reality that most children now don't play outside is a sad predictor of the future that lies ahead for them. Years ago children played outside and the statistics that we have now would never have existed.

This is a picture from a children's birthday party that was hosted outside. Though it was burning hot, the kids were running around and having a good time. All while taking breaks to get water.

Encourage the children around you to get active and live by example and get active as well.

The FIT Person Award... for MAY

May's FIT Person award goes to... JAILYN NICHOLSON!!!!

Before

                                                Weight Lost: 40 lbs
                                            Body Fat % Lost: 7.4%
                                             Time Frame: 6 months

After!

Jailyn has lost 40 lbs over the last 6 months. She says she started out by consulting a trainer and coach at her local gym. She worked with both of them to work on her diet and fitness simultaneously. At first she was going to the gym 3-4 days a week. She would spend 30 minutes on cardio and another 30 minutes on strength training. She cut her portion sizes in half and made sure to set regular times to eat, while also planning her meals and snacks. After seeing results and seeing how much she enjoyed her life changes she increased her gym time to 6 days a week and twice a day on some days.

She has always been someone who could keep up with exercise but she never pushed herself beyond that and she says that's what made the difference.

Her advice to those striving to lose weight, get healthy and really change their lifestyle is....  

"It's always going to be a challenge but its a habit that becomes easier. There will be set backs but don't let them set you back."


*** If you know of anyone who has made a lifestyle change whether it is big or small please let me know I would love to feature others as well!***

Great Workouts!

Last week after working out with friends I took this picture of Courtney. We had a great workout though we felt like we were being tortured during it. Afterward I felt very accomplished as always. Its so amazing to me how a workout can do that for you!

STOP!!

Today I was almost hit by a car while running. I was so in the "zone" that I didn't see this car zooming in a residential area and the woman driving not paying attention. She was not phased at all by me and didn't even slow down even when she saw that I was startled by her. So please be careful while working out outside. Pay attention to your surroundings and also pay attention while your driving. Athletes, yes I said athletes, all over are taking advantage of this wonderful weather please look out for them.

Happy Trails!!

Burning Fat: Burn fat even after your workout!

When most people think of losing excess weight they also think of a Cardio workout. Such an aerobics class or video, running/jogging, swimming, etc. These are all excellent ways to burn fat because your heart rate is up and that is essential to burning fat. The downside to Cardio is that once you stop doing it you stop burning fat. This is why a combination of Cardio and Resistance exercise is important.

Resistance exercise or weight lifting is important because it continues to burn fat even when you've stopped lifting the weight. The soreness you feel after a workout is from the muscle fibers that have been torn and are replacing themselves to make the muscle stronger for next time.

I've heard some women say that they are afraid of lifting weights because it will make them look like a man.... That's not happening. Men have more testosterone so there is no way that a woman muscles will look like that naturally. So in combination with you cardio (to get your heart rate up and make your heart strong) I hope you are lifting weights as well.

Remember, the muscles continue to burn fat even after you stop.. Happy workouts!!

Quick Tip: 15 Minutes

15 minutes is the amount of activity that can give your mind and body a boost. Time is often a large roadblock to regular exercise so start small with 15 minutes if you find it hard to make time. Pay close attention to the change in your mind and body.

According to Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise compared to couch potatoes, those who do a quick bout of exercise, regardless of the intensity, are mentally and physically healthier.

My challenge to you, if you have a hard time fitting exercise into your hectic schedule, is to take 15 minutes push your body a little further than before.

A Little Obsessed!!

Okay so this week I've been a little obsessed with running.... No really... I'm just loving this great weather and I have to be outside in it! I've been running on the Arabia Mountain Trail near my house. It cuts through the woods and eventually goes to the mountain (more like a rock) as well. Here's a glimpse of the scenery that I get to enjoy on my daily runs.

                                              Beautiful! It was about 68 degrees that day.

         A tree that was knocked over from our crazy night of storms. I hopped right over it and kept running!!

I hope you are getting your daily workouts, sunshine, and water in! I promise it will pay off!

Workout playlist 2

My playlists are mostly made for running. For me its often hard to stay motivated without lively music. So these are a few of my most recent picks that keep my pumped.

Chris Brown Yeah 3X (4:01)
Black Eye Peas I Gotta Feeling (4:49)
Rihanna Only Girl in the World (3:55)

Chris Brown (ft. Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne) Look At Me Now (3:42)
Jay-Z (ft. Kanye & Rihanna) Run This Town (4:27)
Black Eye Peas Imma Be (4:17)

I hope I've given you some picks to add to your workout playlist. I hope you working out! Summer is around the corner...

Secrets to: A Bikini Ready Body

The most common reason that people want to get in shape is to be able to flaunt it somewhere... particularly a beach :)

The image of killer abs is usually doing hundreds of crunches and sit-ups to get that perfect 6 pack! Really that first place to get started is with cardio. Burning calories from getting your heart rate up burns fat from that muffin top that you've been able to hide all winter under those fashionable sweaters and coats.

My latest issue of Shape magazine *my favorite fitness magazine* suggests running because according to German researchers you will burn flab from your belly first. To put my two cents in there I think running is a great way to tone your core because you have to keep your core tight to keep proper running form.

                                               (My new Nike Free Runs, love these shoes!)        
      
I hope you're getting ready to lace up your running shoes...

Positive Thinking!

I haven't posted in a while because  I've been doing so much at work, studying, etc. But I'm back and we're gonna get right back into it!

Your thoughts are important for your health. If you have ever watched the The Biggest Loser (one of my favorite shows) you would notice that a lot of the contestants may cry or talk about the way they have felt about themselves. The emotions that they let out are not much different from those that we all have. We all have a view of ourselves, either positive or negative. Your view of yourself changes through exercise because your endorphins are flowing (the feel good hormones).

So keep positive people around you, think positive thoughts, and exercise to better your view of yourself.

Here's a quote that makes me want to change the world today! "An excuse is a problem that you didn't fix."

Make a Change: Not a New Year's Resolution!

Listening to the radio this morning I heard a discussion about making changes instead of new years resolutions. Instead it was suggested that you change something for 1 month. So you have many little goals instead of aiming for the perfect you all in one year. It has been said that if you do something for 21 days it becomes a habit. Since a month is longer than 21 days by the end of the month it should be much easier.

                                       For this month I will be exercising daily!

Lately I've been so busy that I haven't been able to exercise more than 2 or 3 days a week. But for this next month I'm going to do it. I'm going to use The Little Engine That Could's motto"I think I can". I loved that book as a child..

What do you want to change for this next month?