Category Archives: Setting Goals

Getting through Holiday Eating: 10 Survival Tips to Avoid Weight Gain

13 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by in Diet, Health and Wellness, New Year's Resolutions, Setting Goals

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week111Holiday eating. You know that time of annual time of year when you are around family, friends and co-workers and celebrate the festivities with food; lots of it.

It really starts with Halloween. All the extra candy you have from not enough ghoulish goblins and fairytale princesses appearing at your front door. All that sinful chocolate and sugary candy is too good to go to waste, right? So day after day, you work at emptying the candy bowl until it’s empty.

Next, just when all the candy is gone and you are feeling guilty for your over indulgence on sweet treats, it’s time for some turkey and trimmings, not to mention the endless choices of pies and desserts. Were stuffing, mash potatoes, corn bread and lots of leftovers mentioned? Then come Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. More celebrations and more food! An extra bite of cheese, another sip of alcohol, one more cookie…who is going to notice? Before you know it, your waistline to clothing is snug. Ugh!

While tasty and mindfully rewarding during the moment, eating mindlessly or emotionally for pure enjoyment or release during the holidays is neither wise nor healthy. It easily can play havoc on your body, put on extra inches on your waistline, and possibly throw your regular eating habits so far off that it’s tough climb to get back on track. Then, before you know it, it’s New Years Eve and one of your very first resolutions, as it is every year, is to lose the weight.

Let this holiday season be different. Resist over indulging and packing on the unnecessary and unwanted pounds. Here are 10 survival tips to make through the holidays.

  1. Awareness
    You’re reading this article so you are cognizant you may fall victim to holiday overeating and acknowledgement is a positive start. Realizing and admitting are the first steps in any prevention. Start planning and get prepared. The road is about to get bumpy!
  1. Discipline
    Your mind is powerful and deep down, you know you have what it takes to be in control. So use it. When wanting to eat, use your hungry scale. On a scale of 1 to 10, how hungry are you? Is it mealtime? Are you actually hungry? Is your body actually thirsty? Use the determination and restraint powers you have from within and resist eating when you’re not and over indulgences.
  1. Diet
    You are what you eat. Maintain a healthy balanced diet with the proper food intake quantities and calorie count and avoid trigger foods, sugar, refined fructose, grains, and processed food. It may help to keep a food journal since recording your food intakes will make you more conscious and personal feeling of accountable. If you’re hungry in between meals, find a health 150-calorie snack to hold you over.
  1. Exercise
    With the onset of fall and winter comes the nature desire to want to stay in and hibernate. But don’t! Continuing your workouts is a must. The inclement weather and shorter days is all the more reason to keep exercising. Maintain regular strength training to fight off muscle loss and boost metabolism plus cardio for the calorie burn. If extra incentive is needed, add a new class or sport, such as aerobics and kickboxing or skiing and ice skating for a new fitness surge.
  1. Activities
    Less ideal weather should not equate to less activities. When at home, don’t get too comfortable on your couch. The last thing you want to do is fall into a rut of watching TV as your main activity with a big bowl of munchies in your lap. Instead, get moving and get involved. Stay active and keep busy to prevent snacking to sooth your boredom and winter blues.
  1. Parties
    Never EVER go to a party hungry or once you arrive you will head straight to the table of food and gorge on all the bite-size snacks with sneaky mounting calories. Instead and before you feel guilty for overindulging, chow down on high-fiber fruits and vegetables to curb your appetite beforehand. Once you’re at the party, select from the healthiest selections, stop when your stomach feels full and put physical distance between yourself and the food.
  1. Alcohol
    It is the time for holiday cheer. But unfortunately alcohol is just loaded with high calories, especially mixed cocktails. Without realizing it, you can easily drink as many calories that you consume in one meal, and perhaps more. Instead, it’s best to avoid alcohol and it’s empty calories all together. Or limit your drinks and sip a glass of water in between to help dilute calories.
  1. Sleep
    Get on a regular sleep pattern and aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Not enough shuteye causes an imbalance with of the ghrelin and leptin hormones, which normally work in harmony in maintaining weight. Consistent less sleep causes an imbalance. Also, avoid caffeine in the afternoon and avoid eating 3 to 4 hours before bed for a solid good night’s rest.
  1. Friends
    Watching what NOT to eat can be hard when temptations are almost everywhere you turn. So surround yourself with family and friends who encourage your goal of not gaining. The emotional and mental support from a friend or family member who is cheering you on just might be the added incentive you need to make it through the holiday season.
  1. Damage Control
    Overate? Not enough exercise or sleep? Don’t beat yourself over the slip and don’t continue on the path of construction. Just make up for it right away by cutting calories from you day, adding extra exercise and getting to bed earlier for a couple nights.

Keep a commitment to yourself to nourish your body with only the healthiest foods available and without the unnecessary and unhealthy overindulgences. The more you succeed, the easier it will become. You have one body so keep this in front of mind so true and good to yourself!

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

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Preventing the Winter Blues

16 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by in Diet, Health and Wellness, Setting Goals, Sleep

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week109With the clocks turned back last weekend and the days getting shorter and shorter with each passing day – not to mention the first snow has already fallen before the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday – it’s unfortunately that time of year when many people fall victim to the winter blues.
 
Like clockwork every year, many experience this mood disorder starting around the end of October, or beginning of November, and lasting through the start of spring. Also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), this condition of the winter blues can include mild depression, low energy, lack of motivation, increased sleep, social withdraw and a tendency to overeat.
 
Yikes! Not a fun set of symptoms and not a way to live year in and year out.  Fortunately, there are preventive steps one can take to stop the winter blues and not fall victim to the Snow Miser. But it will need a conscious effort throughout these months to keep the winter blues at bay.
 
First, lets take a quick look at SAD and then let’s see what can be down to fight and prevent it from ruining your winter and waistline.
 
With SAD, the lack of sunlight can cause your brain to work overtime producing melatonin, the hormone that regulates your body clock and sleep patterns and a hormone that has been linked to depression. So no, the winter blues is not in your mind; it’s a reality. In fact, approximately a half million of the U.S. population suffers from winter SAD! Three-quarters of the sufferers are women and onset is typically early adulthood. For me, it started in my 20’s.
 
Ok, how to fight it. I’ve broken it down to easy areas that one can adjust your daily life to conquer their blues.
 
Attitude
You have to have a positive state of mind that you will not let the lack of sun effect your mood this year or next or ever! Make a promise to yourself, that this winter, you take the necessary preventive steps to combat this and not succumb. The mind is a powerful thing and can empower you to accomplish anything you set your mind to achieving.
 
Sunlight
The lack of sun is the main culprit here. Sunlight provides Vitamin D and releases the necessary neurotransmitters in the brain that affect mood in a positive manner. Hence, seeing the sun and feeling it’s rays every day is just as important as someone who gets seasick who needs to see the horizon when sailing at sea. So make an effort to get outside every single day – even if it’s bitter cold – and connect with the sun. Soak up that sunlight. Push back your window drapes to let the sun shine into your home and sit near a window when at the office. Also, start your day with a morning walk or run outside and take stroll outside during your lunchtime. You can also try using full spectrum light bulbs at home, which mimic natural light, and invest in a 10,000 lux light box for added light therapy.
 
Location
Location, location, location! Yes, this definitely makes all the difference in the world for SAD suffers. The farther north from the equator you reside, the greater the risk you are to experiencing some degree of winter depression as SAD is more common with those living in cloudy regions or at high latitudes. Only about 1% of Florida residents have some winter-specific discomfort or depression compared to 10% or more with those living in Pennsylvania and north. So if you can live closer to the equator, than do so. If you can’t, just be ready every season with your fighting attitude and take the necessary steps to combat.
 
Diet
What you eat makes all the difference in the world, especially in the wintertime when the blues can set in and cause weight gain. By all means, try to limit your alcoholic consumption – which can bring you down – and avoid processed and refined foods. While they may feel comforting to a person feeling down, they actually can affect your mood swing and zap your energy levels. So be certain to eat as healthy as you and stay hydrated. Also, keep a food journal, if only for this time of year. “Reporting” should make you more conscious of what you are putting between your lips and help you to stay on track of not overeating.
 
Exercise
If you ever need a time to get out and exercise, wintertime is the time! For a minimum of 30 minutes a day every day. Yes, it’s cold outside and the last thing you might want to do is exercise, but you simply must. Exercising will release that much-needed endorphin high, lower your stress, anxiety and depression, and burn calories. You will also gain more energy for your day and a more positive attitude.
 
Sleep
Even though bears love to hibernate in the winter, there is no real biological need for people to get extra sleep during the winter despite feeling sleepier and having less energy. Resist the urge to sleep more. Your body clock is triggered by light and dark so make to make a conscious effort to get your sleeping habits into a regular sleep cycle. Go to bed at approximately the same hour every night and wake up the same time the following morning with a solid 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep.
 
Socialization
Final recommendation is to stay connected with family and friends. Remaining active and social interaction is very important, especially at this time of year. So no matter how cold it is outside and how early the sky gets dark, make plans to get out of your home and stay involved with your inner social circles and regular activities. Perhaps now is the time to take up a new hobby or join a new activity group. Snowed in? Make a simple phone call, chat through Skype, get connected with social media, and don’t forget to a walk in the fresh snow with our next-door neighbor. Remember, never underestimate the power of friendships and fun activities!
 
Follow the above measures every day and your winter blues should be greatly diminished. Note I said “every day” as since this is a seasonal disorder, you will need to follow the above remedies every day until springtime. Skip a day or two and you’ll begin to feel yourself plummet back into the blues. So stay ahead and above. You can do this. You’ve got this!
 
Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

What’s All the Hype About CrossFit?

20 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by in Cardio, Diet, Exercising, Fitness Classes, Health and Wellness, Nutrition, Paleo, Setting Goals, Training, Weight Training

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week101CrossFit. It seems to be all the rage. Gyms just for CrossFit are popping up everywhere with family members and friends of mine joining this latest fitness craze that has taken off like wildfire.

So I went exploring to check it out and see what this so-called “ultimate power combination” was all about. I checked out a few nearby facilities, reviewed their membership plans, and even contemplating investing in a CrossFit gym not too far from my home. But in the end, I decided CrossFit wasn’t for me (due to my longstanding lower back issues) but it might be the right fitness regimen for you! Here’s more.

Greg Glassman first came up with CrossFit back in the 1990s. Prior, Glassman first coached gymnastics at a local YMCA in Southern California and later trained professional athletes and celebrities in local gyms. He discovered high intensity workouts worked best with his clientele and later concluded bodybuilding and endurance programs should be incorporated when he began training law enforcers. In 1995, Glassman took his developed fitness technique and opened up his first official CrossFit gym in Santa Cruz. His program received immediate attention and recognition. Six years later, he launched crossfit.com as an open source program – meaning anybody could now use his program – that includes a library of workout and exercise demo videos, an active discussion forum and the Workout of the Day. Then a few subsequent years later, Glassman took CrossFit to another level by launching an affiliation program. Today, members of more than 9,000 affiliated gyms practice CrossFit worldwide.

Getting back to the program itself. CrossFit is a very unique strength and conditioning exercise regimen with the goal of bettering one’s muscular strength, cardio-respiratory endurance, and flexibility. This is accomplished by stringing together a perpetually varied mix of skills and drills that most commonly associated with Olympic weight lifting, gymnastics, and metabolic conditioning. All movements are continuous, diverse and performed at high intensities to help the exerciser to ultimately become more dexterous with their accuracy, agility, balance, cardiovascular endurance, coordination, flexibility, power, speed, stamina, and strength.

Workouts include short but intense movements using your body weight, such as air squats, back extensions, box jumps, burpees, cartwheels, dips, handstands and handstand push-ups, hanging knees-to-elbows and toes-to-bar, hip extensions, holds, jump rope, kips, L-sits, lunges, muscle-ups, pirouettes, pull-ups, push-ups, ring dips, rope climbs, scales, and sit-ups. For distance and endurance, it’s biking, running, swimming, and rowing. Weight training is a mix of barbell snatches, bench presses, clean lifts, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, power cleans, push presses, snatches, squats, thrusters, and wallballs with a medicine ball.

The key is to constantly move, constantly challenge yourself and constantly advance your abilities; to become measurably stronger, faster, and fitter. And due to CrossFit’s intensity level, it also yields a very high calorie-burning capacity with the actual count based on the participant’s physical abilities, weight and aerobic capacity on top of the actual workout itself.

When it comes to nutrition, CrossFit devotees typically indulge on a diet rich in vegetables, lean meats, nuts and seeds and, in more particulars, 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrates and 30 percent fat, with the principles and guidelines of the CrossFit diet duplicating those in the Paleo Diet. Hence by combining two very distinct lifestyles together, participants will not only feel better but also perform better and possibly experience mouth-dropping results.

So if you have your own curiosity about CrossFit, check out a local CrossFit gym. Most offer free passes or the first month at a discount so you can first hand determine if this fitness program is for you. You never know what you will discover unless you give it a go.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

Unconventional Motivational Tips to Get or Stay Fit

13 Thursday Mar 2014

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week104I am often asked how I stay so motivated to go to the gym and remain fit. With me, it’s easy since going to a fitness center and working out is actually a pure passion of mine. In this sense, I realize I am fortunate, and it also chimes in perfectly with the saying, ‘Do what you love and never work.’ Hence, “working out” isn’t work to me; it’s fun. I have always loved it and love seeing the results on my body.

While I am very self-motivated and self-disciplined, I also expose myself to self-created motivational goodies, no matter how big or how small, that pass in front of my very eyes during any given day of the week, if not all. It’s a means of surrounding myself with positive images that reinforce my chosen path to live, eat, sleep, and breath a healthy and fit lifestyle and keep me in the mental state of mind over matter. Not that I need to be encouraged, but with temptations everywhere, it’s just nice to have an added third-party support.

Below are just a few unconventional motivational ways you can incorporate into you everyday life and surround yourself to stay inspired you and remain on track – may it to be lose weight, change your eating habits, or just to maintain – as staying in shape is much mental as it is physical.

Swimsuit Catalogs – Great for when at home!
These are just not for the female shopper or guy gawker! Turn the pages of these booklets and get inspired and motivated by the fit models clad in skimpy bikinis. Leave the catalogs open to the pages of the model(s) that inspire you most. Tear a few out pages and place them strategically on your fridge’s door, bathroom mirror, closet entrance, or other location(s) in your home.

Social Media – Great when on the go!
Are you a social media user? If so, this will be easy for you. Pick your favorite network – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ or other – and follow users who post, tweet, and pin tips and tricks to staying fit … including videos of exercises, diet recipes, links to informative articles, motivational quotes, and photos of inspirational end results.

Trophy Clothing – Great when grabbing a snack!
Dying to get into a pair of favorite old jeans or a certain bikini for an upcoming trip? Is your top feeling snug or no longer fitting? Place that article of clothing upfront and right inside your refrigerator so when you open the fridge door – bingo! – it’s the first thing you see. Just its mere presence will immediate remind you of your goal and remind you to choose your food wisely when in the fridge.

Bathroom Scale – Great to stay on track!
You may prefer not to, but getting on the bathroom scale every day at the same time is another means to staying on track with losing weight or maintaining your goal. Keep in mind it’s natural for your body to fluctuate by a few pounds, but, by getting on the scale, it will assist you to stay in check and help prevent you from gaining any unsuspecting weight.

The Sports Bra – Great reality check!
This is easily accomplished if you live alone or with a partner. Walk around your home a little bit longer, prior to getting fully dressed for the day, in your bra and panties, sports bra and shorts/sweat pants, or another motivating combination that reveals yourself. This forces you to see your body as it is right now and should help motivate you to lose the pounds or continue to maintain your goal weight.

The Wristband – Great reminder!
Some of us eat right-handed, others left. Whichever hand you naturally gravitate to when grabbing a utensil, this is the one you wear either a special wristband or bracelet as another visual reminder you are what you eat and you need to stay true to your fitness goal. Perhaps it’s a present to yourself for reaching your fitness goal. Whatever you choose to wear, keep it on to keep you going.

It’s all mind over matter as the purpose for all of these tactics listed below is to simply surround yourself with positive and encouraging reinforcements and influences as an extra built-in support system and to top off your already existing diet plan and regular workouts. Just sneak in the above visual motivators into your days and soon you, too, will be the one your friends turn to and ask, “How do stay motivated to workout and stay fit?”

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

Birthdays – A Time to Set Goals in 5 Easy Steps

13 Thursday Feb 2014

Posted by in Setting Goals

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week93Today is my birthday. Like many, I have stopped counting years ago, as age is just a number and numbers don’t matter. It’s all about how you live your life and how well you care for your self well-being.

Some of us love our special days and enjoy it with great festive celebrations. Dinners. Parties. Gifts. Trips. Others keep it on the down low and treat it as just another ordinary day.

Birthdays are milestone markers. They wrap up one chapter and start a new one. A clean upcoming year. A fresh slate. A new beginning. And if you weren’t happy where you were yesterday or yesteryears, well, here’s your chance. No one can argue otherwise, after all, it is your one and only day a year; the one day where no one can, or should, challenge you.

So what will I be doing this year on my special day? No big parties with friends. No celebratory trip planned, as of yet, however since I do love to travel, perhaps a later trip I will label a post birthday celebration. Actually, right now I’m working from home – snowed in from a nor’easter snowstorm – with birthday wishes from family and friends via texts, phone calls, emails, and social media mentions starting since the day before. If it weren’t for the snowfall, it would be the gym and the office in that order, followed by ideally an aerobics class afterward and then dinner at a favorite restaurant with one of my two brothers. Dinner with my other brother occurred a few nights ago as an early celebration since I was near his town.

Like both my brothers, I love to achieve – a born driven go-getter – and there is no better time then now to create some new goals to achieve than on a birthday. It’s an idea time to reflect and reminisce the years gone by then plot and plan the next upcoming bright ones ahead tagged with new aspiring goals. And if the years don’t seem bright at the moment, now is the perfect time to make certain they will be.

Setting and obtaining goals first takes a true steadfast mindset filled with determination and disciplinary actions to make your efforts and hard work pay off. The following are five steps to make your goals reality.

1. Commitment.
When planning your goals, select the one that is your highest priority and focus on that goal first. Concentrating on one goal at a time gives you the clarity you will need to achieve it. Then develop a realistic plan of action with a timeframe and benchmarks.

2. Discipline.
Stay focus with your eye on the prize and keep it going. Find the time. Every day, every week, whatever it takes to make it happen! This is the period that divides the go-getting achievers and the no-drive couch potatoes. First go at it didn’t work? Try again. Try another. Just make it materialize.

3. Consistent.
Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? Never waver. Don’t back off. Staying consistent is a key ingredient to achieving your goal. Keep it going and stay persistent with your efforts and eventually you will achieve the results you are seeking.

4. Faith in Self.
Believe. It will happen with time and your hard work. Thicken your skin and resist listening to those who say that you will fail. Show them wrong. Prove it to yourself. There have been many before you that were told they won’t succeed and they do. Alexander Graham Bell, Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Stephen King, Isaac Newton, J.K. Rowling, KFC Colonel Harvard David Sanders, Jerry Seinfeld, Dr. Seuss, Steven Spielberg, Socrates, Vincent Van Gogh, Vera Wang, Oprah Winfrey, F.W. Woolworth and others who believed in themselves and, despite of the odds against them, went on to find great success.

5. Have Heart.
Movie character Rocky Balboa once said, “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.” You must have heart and passion. You have to want it and want it bad. The achiever may not always be the one who finishes first or at the first go but often the person who fell down a few downs along the way, brushed him or herself off, and got back up to finish what they started – all because they had heart.

Stay committed, remain discipline, be consistent, keep faith in yourself, and have heart and you will achieve your goal.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

15 Easy Diet Changes that Make a Big Difference

20 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by in Diet, Health and Wellness, Metabolism, Nutrition, Setting Goals

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week86Sometimes it’s the little things in life that counts and adds up to make a difference. Or another way to look at it, baby steps people! I’m referring to making small subtle changes to your daily diet to get you started to eating healthier. It’s how I started many years, and what I suggest to those who inquire how I reached my healthy eating levels of today.

Below are 15 simply changes you can do to your diet today that matter and will make a positive difference with your health and well-being.

#1. Eat within one hour of waking up in the mornings. While sleeping, your metabolism slows down, your body temp lowers, and your blood sugar level drops to conserve energy. To restart your engine and lower your risk for weight gain and obesity, eat a balance meal of lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats within an hour of waking.

#2. Chew your food 30-50 times per mouthful. Chewing food thoroughly has several benefits, such as improving your digestion, eliminating bad breath, preventing excessive gas, and strengthening the immune system. It also takes up to 20 minutes for your brain to get the signal that your stomach is full. So between bites, place your utensil down and savor the moment.

#3. Avoid the whites: flour, sugar, salt, rice, potatoes and mayonnaise. Yes, don’t pass the salt, skip the sugar, and avoid white flour and mayonnaise. Yes, this means white pasta, white bread, and baked goodies made with white substances. All of these foods are absorbed quickly and cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar, which can result in weight gain plus is linked to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

#4. Eat protein with every meal. Protein satisfies hunger and boosts metabolism. If you don’t eat enough, your body breakdowns and burns muscle to compensate which you want to avoid. For each meal, consume enough protein fitting the size of your palm; a total daily intake of ~46g for women and ~56g for men depending on your age, situation, and activity level.

#5. Stop eating processed food. Skip the convenience and forget the delish taste. Eating processed food is not worth you ingesting, doing more harm than good, loaded with preservatives, unnecessary carbohydrates, trans fats, extremely high levels of sodium, and often high fructose. Processed meats come full of synthetic chemicals, many of which are potentially carcinogenic. Need more be said?

#6. Pack your lunch. Not only will it save on your wallet, but your body will thank you. If you typically grab fast food or sit down at a restaurant with coworkers or clients, you are most likely eating more fat and calories than you need or realize. Instead, pack your lunch and know exactly what you are eating. It may take extra time in the mornings, but it’s well worth it in the long run.

#7. Don’t eat lunchmeat or hot dogs. Sorry ballpark hot dog fans, this is one treat to avoid. Any meat that is salted, cured, smoked, or preserved with nitrate is considered processed. This includes bacon and sausage. As mentioned in tip #5 above, they are full of synthetic chemicals and are possibly carcinogenic. They are also usually high in fats and salt, which means they are not heart-friendly, either.

#8. Carry and drink fresh H2O. Pass on the sodas and fruit drinks. Instead swig half your body water in water in ounces of water everyday. Not only is water is one of the best tools for weight loss, it flushes out toxins and waste products, reduces the risk of a heart attack and colon cancer in addition to keeping you hydrated, nourishes your skin, and facilitates your athletic activities among other numerous benefits.

#9. Pass on unhealthy trans fats. These are the bad guys, primarily found in foods containing margarine or vegetable shortening, such as fried foods, baked goods, packaged snacks, fast foods, full-fat cheeses, and lard. These man-made fats raise LDL cholesterol levels while lowering HDL cholesterol, increasing your risk of a heart attack, stroke, and possibly type two diabetes. Instead, choose foods with monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, including olive and canola oils, almonds and other nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish, such as salmon.

#10. Eliminate red meat, now. Numerous studies year after year show a direct line with red meat consumption to diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other life-threatening conditions. This includes beef, pork, and lamb meats, which are all high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Most are filled with nitrates and have dangerous chemicals when cooked at high temps. Substitute your servings with fish and poultry.

#11. Eat every couple hours. Your body is like a clock. Eating every 2-3 hours will keep your metabolism high and your insulin levels stable, which in return keeps your energy up and your hunger under control. Going long periods without food can result in a breakdown and loss of muscle tissue, resulting in a slower metabolism, and a gorge out on your next meal.

#12. Pack a snack. Ever find yourself hungry when on the go? When this happens and you have nothing on hand, making a quick stop to grab a healthy snack can be challenging as you drive by fast food eateries or are tempted by the aroma of sweet treats when in a shopping mall. So before heading out, take along your favorite protein bar, a small bag of nuts, or grab an apple, pear, or banana to keep your metabolism going and ward off hunger.

#13. Eat fish 3 or more times per week or take a daily fish oil supplement. Protein packed, vitamin rich and low in saturated fat, fish is also great brain food. Most fish, such as salmon, tuna, and trout, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which keep arteries free of blockage, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and aid in brain development and memory. The omega-3s will also decrease your risk of heart disease, stroke, arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.

#14. When your hunger stops, stop eating. No, you do not have to finish all the food on your plate and not after that feel so full you could burst feeling. Goodness knows that many restaurants today super-size their servings. Once your hunger is satisfied, it’s time to put down the fork and ask for a container to take the balance home.

#15. Don’t eat past 7:00 pm. A good rule of thumb to follow is to stop eating 3-4 hours before retiring to bed. After eating, it takes about 6-8 hours or more for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine, depending upon the type. Only a couple of hours after dinner, your body naturally begins preparing for sleep with a reduced metabolism and storage of fat recently consumed. The only calories you body needs are the basics to keep your heart beating, your lungs breathing, and your eyes moving in REM sleep overnight.

I can easily give you another 15 changes to make to your diet, but let’s start with these. Add in daily exercise to the above and you are off to a good starting plan you can follow and build on for the rest of your life.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

Finding a Gym That Is Right for You

16 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Cardio, Exercising, Fitness Classes, New Year's Resolutions, Setting Goals, Training, Weight Training

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week85To those of us who happen to be working out to what seems like all our lives, selecting a new gym to call home away from home is an easy matter. But for those who infrequently visit a gym or never have, the task of selecting the best gym to meet your needs and goals might be intimidating and overwhelming.

So where to start? Create a list of criteria of what gym will best fit your goals, interests, needs, and lifestyle. This will help the gym that is right for you stand out from the rest of the pack. Here is what you should consider.

Your Goals
Want to lose weight? Tone up? Reduce stress? Get fitter? Increase energy? Socialize? Train for an event? Whatever your reason or reasons may be, write them down and a realistic timeline with benchmarks and a final goal date. Or perhaps this is no end date as this is now a lifelong commitment.

Your Lifestyle
Determine if you are a morning or evening workout person and the distance in miles or drive time you are willing to attend a gym. Then which makes more practical sense to you, belonging to a gym that is close your house, office, or even the daycare center or your child’s school? Do their open hours fit your schedule? Is there a separate workout room for women only if desired? Do you prefer the lush of a high-end spa gym or are the basics found in a Y just fine with you? And just as important as the other factors, how much are you willing to pay for a membership? Decide all before venturing.

Your Interests
What style of working out interests you or will keep you interested and motivated plus yields the results you desire? Possibilities include: body combat, boot camp, cardio, cross-fit, kickboxing, Pilates, spinning, step aerobics, swimming, Tai Chi, team activities, water aerobics, weight training, yoga, Zumba, and others. You might have to try a few to determine.

Your Needs
When it comes to the available equipment, what is the number of pieces so that you do not have to wait or your wait is lessoned? This especially applies to the cardio equipment, including treadmills, Stairmaster, ellipticals, rowing machines, and stationary bikes but also to the circuit training equipment, free weights, and training accessories.

Next, which gym amenities are must have’s besides the basics of perhaps a clean locker room? Here are several to consider: aerobics room, basketball courts, dance studio, daycare center, dietitians, exercise classes, indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, juice bar, masseuse, outdoor swimming pool, personal trainers, racquetball courts, restaurants, retail store, rock climbing wall, running track, sauna, snack bar, spinning room, tennis courts, and whirl pool.

Other considerations for selecting a gym is what is its reputation in the community and what credentials do the staff have? Are there any reciprocal agreements? What is the cost for a guest pass? How often is the equipment updated?

Finding a gym that is right for you can be as enjoyable as getting in the gym to workout. Plan ahead and you’ll be one step closer to achieving the results your desire.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

Owning Up to Having a Vice

07 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Health and Wellness, New Year's Resolutions, Setting Goals

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week83The other day when I stopped at a mini market food convenience store, there was an elderly woman in front of me in the checkout line. Small and frail looking, she was bundled up on this cold wintery day but unable to hide her wrinkling skin and long yellow fingernails. (I am a people watcher, so I am guilty of seeing such features in a person.)

When it became her turn, she gently asked the cashier for two packs of cigarettes to go along with her pack of gum. As a lifelong non-smoker, I became quickly curious as to how much one pack of cancer sticks costs so I spoke up and inquired. My mouth dropped open in my mind when the cashier quoted me the various prices.

Without making any eye contact, the elderly woman quickly said, “Well, I’m going to quit this year, but this is my only vice.”

The day was January 2.

“Not that I’m justifying it,” she continued. “Everybody has something and this is mine.”

I said nothing more as the woman who looked shamed grabbed her cigarettes and gum and left the store. By her defensive reaction, it was obvious she felt some guilt by smoking the life-threatening habit, padded by future self promises of quitting.

Two days later, I was in a lab waiting for blood work. One of the only two technicians grabbed his winter coat and said, literally, that he ‘needed to fulfill his bad habit.’ Out the door he went, very well knowing what he about to do wasn’t good for him.

Upon his return, I sat across from him as I checked in with my health insurance and script. I jokingly teased him by saying, “What happened to your New Year’s resolution to stop smoking?”

He chuckled and wittingly responded without hesitation and without any eye contact, “My mother did not raise a quitter.” Then added, “It’s my only vice.”

Vice. Only vice. Why do some people think they are justified to having one when it affects one’s health and well-being? Allowed? Entitled? It is interesting. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of vice is a “bad or immoral behavior or habit.” Hmm. That doesn’t look it should be permitted or accepted  to me. Perhaps vices are better classified as addictions?

In a flip about, I have a vice, err addiction, to working out and eating healthy. It is the plague I am guilty of carrying and trying to spread. Goodness knows many have called me on it. But it brings me inner peace and rewards my inner being. If most people do have some type of self-proclaimed vice, then why not a healthy one? How about, ‘My vice is running’ which releases those high-catching endorphins. What about, ‘My vice is reading,’ a mental escape to sharpen the brain, increase knowledge, and flourish the imagination. Or ‘My vice is traveling,’ as it relaxes, soothes, and re-energizes. All of these are good.

I believe there are bad, negative vices as there are good, positive vices. One is supported by weakness and dependency while the other by discipline and dedication.

Breaking and ending a physical addiction and a psychological habit can be difficult, but it is achievable. Here are five suggested steps to help you override.

  1. Background. Do some soul searching and understand why and when you partake in your vice. What made you start and why it’s time to stop? Identify your triggers and associations. Remove any temptations from your home, car, and work. Find positive replacements and surround yourself with positive influences.
  2. Goal. Set a quit date within the next two weeks and get mentally prepared for your next chapter.
  3. Strategy. Create a plan of action with benchmarks and achievable goals. A good strategy will address the short–term challenge of quitting smoking and the long–term challenge of preventing a relapse.
  4. Alliances. Let your friends and family in on your plan and ask them for their support and encouragement to break your negative habit. Look for a “quit buddy” who wants to stop the same habit as well. You can help each other get through the rough times. If you believe it will help your journey, talk to your physician. He or she can prescribe medication to help with withdrawal and suggest other alternatives.
  5. Journey. Document your daily journey of struggles and wins. This will also help zero in on additional vice patterns while tracking your highs and lows. When you have a craving, include the intensity on a scale of 1-10 and what you did to overcome, such as types of distractions, embarking on a new hobby, or reminding yourself why you quit.

Quitting a bad habit is no walk in the park, but it is one of the best things anyone can do – replacing it with a positive healthy one. Then the next time when someone asks about your (new) healthier habit, you can look them in the eye and proudly say with a smile of accomplishment, “It’s my vice.”

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

Is Your Body Beach Ready? Part III

25 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Cardio, Exercising, Setting Goals, Weight Training

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Now that you have your diet underway and you are logging in your journal, now let’s create a workout plan to help with your weight loss. Everyone who is reading this article is at a different age and different fitness level, so you will need to tailor the workouts to best suite your appropriate degree of performance.

Regular exercise should be a big part of everyone’s daily life, regardless of being in a weight loss program or not. All that is required is a minimum of 30 minutes a day, five days a week. As with all new exercise programs, start off slowly and work yourself up to a point where you ideally workout 60 minutes a day with a day or two of rest.

Workouts should include a combination of weight training, cardio and stretching to be the effectiveness when losing weight, building muscle or wanting to be tone. The combination of all three balance and compliment your training formula. Training with weights will tone your muscles so they burn more fat plus raise your metabolism to help you see a slimmer body more quickly than by doing just cardio alone.  Cardio simply melts the pounds away, especially running, in additional to countless over health reasons such as increase in lung capacity, better metabolism, decrease in blood glucose levels, less anxiety and more. Daily stretching not only burns calories but will elongate your muscles so they function more effectively.

Okay, let’s get started! What I have providing below is a basic 12-week workout plan for someone who is in very good health but does not workout. Start with the weight training first, followed by the cardio then stretching. I recommend this order as you will burn more calories running if you run after your workout versus before. You also want to stretch your muscles following your run, after they are warm and lose versus beforehand. Avoid any exercises that cause pain or discomfort. For all, it’s best to check with your family physician before starting any new exercise regimen.

Weeks 1-3
Strength Training:Complete the following exercise with a weight you feel comfortable with, every other day and never on back-to-back days.

  • Leg Press: 1 set of 15 reps; works your quads and glutes.
  • Lying Leg Curl: 1 set of 15 reps; works your hamstrings.
  • Seated Cable Row: 1 set of 15 reps; works your upper back.
  • Flat Bench Press: 1 set of 15 reps; works your chest.
  • Dumbbell Press: 1 set of 15 reps; works your shoulders.
  • Dumbbell Shrug: 1 set of 15 reps; works your traps.
  • Pushdown: 1 set of 15 reps; works your triceps.
  • Barbell Curl: 1 set of 15 reps; works your biceps.
  • Back Extension: 1 set of 15 reps; works your lower back.
  • Standing Calf Raise: 1 set of 15 reps; works your calves.
  • Barbell Wrist Curl: 1 set of 15 reps; works your firearms.
  • Crunches: 1 set of 15 reps; works your abdominals.

Cardio: For best results, run outside on a track or running trail. If you don’t have access to an outdoor path, then run indoors on a treadmill. If you are unable to run due to a health issue, substitute the running with perhaps elliptical, bicycle or aerobic class.

  • Week 1: Run 1 minute then walk 1 minute. Repeat 10 times for a total of 20 minutes. Run 4 days a week.
  • Week 2: Run 2 minutes then walk 2 minutes. Repeat 6 times for a total of 24 minutes. Run 4 days a week.
  • Week 3: Run 3 minutes then walk 2 minutes. Repeat 5 times for a total of 25 minutes. Run 4 days a week.

Stretching:When stretching, you should feel mild discomfort but nothing too intense. Don’t bounce, just relax and exhale as you stretch the muscle. Stretch daily.

  • Hamstring Stretch: Sit on a mat and split your legs apart in a wide V shape. Lean over one side to reach and hold your toes. To make the stretch more intense, pull you toe towards your body, flex your quads, and reach as far as you can. Hold for 10-30 seconds and repeat for 1-3 times.
  • Groin Stretch: Sit on a mat and split your legs apart. Bend your legs to bring the soles together in the middle and hold. Press your elbows down in an effort to increase the stretch. The closer you put your feet to your body, the more intense the stretch will be. Hold for 10-30 seconds and repeat for 1-3 times.
  • Hip Stretch: Lie on a mat and raise your legs in the air in a chair position. Cross your right leg across the so your ankle touches the folded left knee. Place your hands around your right knee to pull the left leg toward your body. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Repeat stretch 1-3 times on both sides.
  • Side Stretch: While standing, clasp your hands straight up overhead, palms facing the ceiling. Gently lower to the right side until you feel a stretch down your left side. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Repeat stretch 1-3 times on both sides.
  • Quad Stretch: Lay on your side a mat. Grab your top leg and bend it back. Hold for 10-30 seconds. The further you bring your knee backwards, the more intense the stretch. Repeat stretch 1-3 times on both sides.
  • Calf Stretch: Lean over on your mat and drop to all fours. Take your left leg and place it behind your right with your left toe touching the floor. Hold for 10-30 seconds. The further greater the angle of your foot, the more it works your upper vs. your lower calves. Repeat stretch 1-3 times on both sides.
  • Chest and Shoulder Stretch: Sit on a chair, exercise ball or bench or stand Clasp your hands together behind your back, arms straight. Lift your hands towards the ceiling, going only as high as is comfortable. You should feel a stretch in your shoulders and chest. Repeat stretch 1-3 times.
  • Upper Back: Sit on a chair, exercise ball or bench.Clasp your hands together in front of you and round your back, pressing your arms away from your body to feel a stretch in your upper back. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Repeat stretch 1-3 times.
  • Biceps Stretch: Sit on a chair, exercise ball or bench.Take your arms out to the sides, slightly behind you, with the thumbs up. Rotate your thumbs down and back until they are pointing to the back wall to stretch the biceps. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Repeat stretch 1-3 times on both sides.
  • Triceps Stretch: Sit on a chair, exercise ball or bench.Bend your left elbow behind your head and use the right hand to gently pull the left elbow in further until you feel a stretch in your tricep. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Repeat stretch 1-3 times on both sides.

Weeks 4-6

Strength Training:Repeat the same routine as Weeks 1-3except use slightly heavier weights on all sets and perform 2 sets of 12 reps. Rest 60-90 seconds between the sets.

Cardio:

  • Week 4: Run 4 minutes then walk 2 minutes. Repeat 5 times for a total of 30 minutes. 5 days a week..
  • Week 5: Run 5 minutes then walk 1 minute. Repeat 5 times for a total of 30 minutes. 5 days a week.
  • Week 6: Run 6 minutes then walk 1 minute. Repeat 5 times for a total of 35 minutes. 5 days a week.

Stretching:Continue the stretches assigned on Weeks 1-3. Stretch daily.

Weeks 7-9

Strength Training:Repeat the same routine as Weeks 1-3except use slightly heavier weights then Weeks 4-6 on all sets and perform 3 sets of 10 reps. Rest 60-90 seconds between the sets.

Cardio:

  • Week 7: Run 7 minutes then walk 1 minute. Repeat 5 times for a total of 40 minutes. 5 days a week.
  • Week 8: Run 8 minutes then walk 1 minute. Repeat 5 times for a total of 45 minutes. 5 days a week.
  • Week 9: Run 9 minutes then walk 1 minute. Repeat 5 times for a total of 50 minutes. 5 days a week.

Stretching:Continue the stretches assigned on Weeks 1-3. Stretch daily.

Weeks 10-12

Strength Training:Repeat the same routine as Weeks 1-3except use slightly heavier weights then Weeks 7-9 on all sets and perform 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Rest 60-90 seconds between the sets.

Cardio:

  • Week 10: Run 10 minutes then walk 1 minute. Repeat 5 times for a total of 55 minutes. 5 days a week.
  • Week 11: Run 15 minutes then walk 1 minute. Repeat 4 times for a total of 60 minutes. 5 days a week.
  • Week 12: Run 20 minutes then walk 1 minute. Repeat 3 times for a total of 60 minutes. 5 days a week.

Stretching:Continue the stretches assigned on Weeks 1-3. Stretch daily.

Remember your diet is the clincher and your exercising is the accelerator. Keep strong and keep focus. You can achieve your weight loss and else in life with your “can do” attitude. It may be a little challenging at first while your body adjusts to your new lifestyle, but hang tough and you will come out with flying colors on the other side! Good luck!

Be fit. Be strong. Be well.
Adriana

Is Your Body Beach Ready? Part I

31 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Diet, Exercising, Setting Goals

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For most of the country, the winter this year was a very mild one, especially when compared to the past couple years. With little snow on the ground and the temperatures mild for most of the season, many were able to continue cycling and running outdoors while skiers, borders, and ice skaters had to search for places with enough snow and ice to make their sports happen.

With the winter months now behind us and spring in the process of blooming, it’s also time to take a look at our bodies to see if it’s ready to hit the beach in its fineness. Despite the lack of snow, many still had the internal instinct to eat more during the winter months. The shorten days of less daylight also decreased the energy for many, causing some to shorten or skip their workouts all together.

First up, get on the scale! What is your weight compared to the end of last summer? Have you gained a few extra pounds from the holiday treats or were you able to maintain your weight? Next, try on some of your summer outfits. How do they fit? If all is good, they don your favorite swimsuit. Any bulges? How is your middle looking? Arms? Shoulders? Butt? Any jiggle or wiggle? Is there room for improving, perhaps in your overall body tone and muscle definition?

Now, set your goals. Do you want to lose, gain or maintain? Have a favorite outfit you want to fit into again? Perhaps you want your abs defined a little more or your arms more muscular. Whatever it is, get a journal and write down where you are today and where you want to be in three months. Try to make your goals realistic and achievable.

Next, build your plan of action. Make it a winning combination of dieting and workouts. Be sure to include both weight lifting and cardio to help drop the pounds and tone up. Watch the starchy carbs and unnecessary foods with empty calories.

Need some suggestions? The next series of blogs string together a 12-week plan that, if followed properly, should put your body in better form through the combination of dieting and working out. Twelve weeks is a nice span of time to set your short term goals with enough planned time to notice a positive change. Also, check with your physician before starting if you have any injuries or illnesses.

So stay tune!  You may additionally want keep a workout journal to track your progress and keep you on goal.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana