Fab Fit Squad

Admit we all look down at our tummy’s and wish they are a little flatter, more

define or hell just wasn’t a muffin top! Here a four ways to lose that muffin top.

1. Add protein to every meal. I always ask my clients to write their food journals and the one element that is missing from most meals is protein. This is help you repair your muscles after working out and helps you to feel full longer.
2. Log your meals. This helps you really visualize what your are putting in your mouth. I mean you log EVERYTHING the Peppermint Patty  you grabbed from the receptionist desk. Want me to review? Just send 3 days and I’ll give you feedback.
3. Avoid artificial sweeteners.Because they are “artificial” it’s sometimes hard for our bodies to process them. When your body can’t process it causes inflammation. Unfortunately you typically can’t control where the inflammation occurs, most times it will occur in your tummy. So its best to avoid foods high in sodium, carbonated beverages, and gum.
4. Fill up on veggies.  Veggies are low in calories and high in fiber. This combination helps you feel full longer. Be careful with broccoli it does cause a little bloating.

Here is a bonus — interval training — instead of just hoping on a piece of equipment and doing the same pace, try mixing it up with intervals.  Try this one.  Go hard for 30 sec and then rest for 30 sec try this for 30 minutes. After you try it leave me a comment about how you did.

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This year instead of making a resolution I’m make a themes for 2012. My first theme for 2012 is EXPRESSION!!! This year I will be stepping in front of the camera and doing more video blogs so that I can demonstrate exercises that you should incorporate into your fitness routines, show you some of my favorite recipes and I want go my readers a more of an one on one experience.  I’ve been writing this blog for almost 3 years and it’s time for me to get a little more personal.  The best thing about my theme is it has a THEME SONG!!! I know it’s old school, but it works!!! What are your theme’s for 2012?  Do you need some help setting those themes? The week after Christmas I’m having 15 min goal setting appointments. If you are interested, please shoot me an email.

What I mean by that is, are you one of those people who sit around and say “Someday I will __________.” “I’ll meet my fitness goals if________________.” If I only had__________, I’d be able to_______.”

Does that sound like you? Are you waiting for someday? I have a question for you, how long have you been waiting for someday to come? Do you think it will ever come? Guess what if you don’t TAKE ACTION!! Your someday will never come in.  You won’t achieve your goals or dreams by wishing and hoping. You’ll achieve them by setting goals.

The best goals are WRITTEN. You can’t just think them or say them. You need to write down your goals and put them someplace visible. A place that you see them EACH AND EVERYDAY.

I have dry erase boards that I stick to my office door. Every morning I walk in my office and I look at my board and review my goals.  I have 4 of these dry erase boards on my door. Here is how I’ve broken down my goals.

1. My goals for 2011
2. My goals for the next 3 months
3. My goals for the next 30 days
4. My weekly goals

Every day I look at them and decide what am I going to do today and is that going to push me toward one of my goals.  My challenge to you is take 30 minutes and sit down and write out what is it that you want to achieve by the end of 2011. You have 120 days, what can you achieve so that you have more to celebrate than the end of the year and the start of the new?

If you are looking for a challenge, I encourage you to try my skinny jeans challenge.

Leave me some comments below to let me know what you plan to achieve in your 120 days.

So here were are 6 months into 2011 and I’m revisiting what I’m doing for me this year. This is the longest that I have gone without a fitness goal.  I got to tell you I’m a feeling a little out of sorts.

This past week I sat down and got clear about what I want to accomplish between now and the end of 2011.

1. Finish the Falmouth Road Race

• I’d like to run this in under 1 hour
• I’d like to properly train for this race, the past few years I’ve done a half ass job training for it. (more…)

I saw this in a blog post that was so unrelated to nutrition, but it get me thinking. Do we go through our lives and just want to get through the day.
You know what I’m talking about. You think if I just keep my head down it will all be okay. Now if I asked you is that surviving or thriving what would you say? Pick me — it’s surviving I know that Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive song is so suppose to be the female national anthem, but it’s all about surviving. Once you survive is there more? Can you then THRIVE?

Do you want to thrive? Just follow these 7 steps.

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I am totally into this new Nike Ad campaign. It makes me think of a conversation I had with my coach when I first started doing fitness competitions.  It was the end of the season and I was little disappointment in how I placed throughout the year. I booked an appointment with my  coach to talk about the year and what I could in the off season to improve my placings for the next year.  She looked at me and said these simple words that ROCKED and CHANGED my world.  She said to me did you do all you could do? (more…)

Yes, it’s that time of year. In just 30 days, we’ll start thinking about New Years Resolutions. Did you know that 71% of all resolutions makers fail make their resolutions?.  Here are the top 6 reasons why we fail to stick with our New Years Resolutions.

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Last night before we go to bed, my husband asked was I depressed because I’ve been writing about getting happy and he was worried. I was like no, I just saw this segment on Dr. Oz and wanted to see if I could do the challenge because I thought it was interesting.

Depressed… Hmm don’t know if I ever really get depressed. Wikipedia defines depression as feelings of sadness, helplessness, or hopelessness. Yes I do feel sad, and helpless at times, but those are times that also fire me up. Those times make me take a look inside and say HEY!!! YOU GOT KNOCKED ON YOUR ASS NOW WHAT!! Please note, I do believe depression is a serious issue and if you are feeling depressed you should seek professional help.

Thank you Philip for asking, but I’m not depressed, and after these past few days I realize that  I’m not a Debbie Downer either. (more…)

45% of people make a new year’s resolution yet less than 10% keep any of them.  Is it because they pick to many or is it because they aren’t ready to change?  Do we set our bars so high that when we don’t reach them we get disappointed and give up?

In order to make changes we go though 5 stages of change.

1. Pre-contemplation — someday you will (insert the topic)
2. Contemplation — someday soon I will do it
3. Action — today is the day so watch out
4. Maintenance — I got this

What stage are you in?  Don’t be afraid change is hard! You will get discouraged, you may question yourself, may be afraid to look like a fool, but guess what nothing easy is ever worth it

So, get moving!!!

I remember when I was in high school and Oprah walked out onto to her talk show in those black Calvin Klein size 10 jeans and boy did she feel like she arrived!  Now fast forward to 2008 and she is now over 200 pounds.  Has this ever happened to you?

You lose some weight and then start to eat everyhting you’ve been mising on your diet?

DIETS DON’T WORK!!!

Oprah has more money and can afford to a trainer everyday, a cook and an in home gym and she still struggles, do you want to know why?

It boils down to change and your commitment to making change, as we approach resolution season ask yourself 3 questions:

1. Why is it important to change
2. What barriers will you encounter
3. How will you over come those barriers

Let’s be honest life happens, but what are prepared to pick yourself up when life knocks you down?

Talk me, how did you answer those 3 questions.