Small Changes can make a Big Difference

Trying to get in shape and lose weight can be overwhelming. There's so many "diet" plans, pills, shakes, philosophies, and workout programs available it can be daunting when trying to choose where to even start. If losing weight were easy, then the global market for Weight Loss wouldn't be worth US $586.3 Billion by the year 2014. In the big picture, weight loss is pretty simple.... calories in vs. calories out. It's just learning how to truly apply this equation to your everyday life, and making small, simple changes that will set you up for success.

There's no miracle diet or pill that's gonna help you lose weight permanently. Sure you can take diet pills for a week and lose a few pounds, buy you are screwing up your metabolism, and you'll most likely go right back to where you started, wasting your money and taking the unhealthy approach. Your main reason for losing weight should be for your health, and taking this route isn't going to benefit you. It's making lifestyle changes, that will keep the weight off permanently and improve your overall health.

I wanted to provide some examples of simple ways to make the "calories in vs. calories out" equation work for you. A pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. A healthy, realistic goal for weight loss is to lose 1-2 pounds a week. So that's creating a weekly 3,500-7,000 calorie deficit until you reach your goal weight.

Let's say you go to Starbucks three times a week and order a 260 calorie Grande mocha with 2% milk and no whip cream. If you substituted a coffee or americano, with one oz of cream (37 calories and and 1 TB of sugar (48 calories), you'd be taking in 525 calories less per week, which totals 2,100 less in the course of a month. There's a half pound right there, from just a small tweak in your diet.

Then let's add a little exercise into the mix. Just adding 30 minutes of exercise 3 days a week can really make a difference. A 140 pound person, will burn roughly 320 calories jogging 30 minutes. That's 960 calories burned in a week, totaling 3,840 calories for the month, which is a little over a pound shed.

My advice is to write down or take a mental note of what you eat, and how much you are exercising for a just a few days. Start by making small changes, like adding 10 minutes more to your workouts, walking to work, substituting healthy food options for indulgent, high calorie meals. If you drink a 6 pack of beer (900 calories) after work, or a bottle of wine (500 calories) with a meal, 3 times a week, that totals 6,000 to 10,800 calories in a month, which amount to 1.5- 2.5 pounds. (Click chart below to enlarge)

A big mistake is to think you earned that pizza or ice cream because you worked out. Don't get into this mentality... you will be basically treading water. It will take you 2.5 hours of walking to burn off just 2 pieces of pizza, which took you about a minute to eat!

So take a deep breath, rise above all the weight loss gimmicks out there and remember:

The photo above was taken before the Warrior Dash I did this weekend... The photo below was the aftermath.

Why you are fat..... the simple truth whether you like it or not.

One of my friends kept talking about this book, "Skinny Bitch", by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I needed something to read on my way back home from San Diego, so I decided to give it a go. It was a quick read and highly informative. It honestly really struck a chord with me and reinforced the importance of eating a clean and healthy diet. After reading the book, I was a little scared to even go in a grocery store... My boyfriend was rolling his eyes while I was inspecting every single food label making our grocery shopping trip last three times longer than it should of! (Another thing for me to get OCD about!) So much of our food is pumped up with crap, you can hardly even consider it food, more like genetically modified garbage. With all the hormones, preservatives, pesticides and chemicals we are consuming, it's no wonder cancer, obesity, heart disease and diabetes are plaguing us. I'm already on an organic kick, but what I took home from this book was altering some of my choices when it comes to consuming meat and dairy products. It is a little overwhelming trying to eat a "perfect" diet... but the more information you have, the better your chances of making healthy choices. The only thing I can't give up is my coffee.... No way! I don't want to give away too much, but if you are looking for a book that doesn't hold back, and tells you like it is, I'd suggest reading it. Especially if you need some incentive to change up your eating habits and make a lifestyle change, it really does the trick. In the end, it's all up to you... I don't believe in excuses or slackers, and that's why I liked this quick, amusing and worthwhile read.

Abs are Earned

I teach two, thirty minute Ab/Core focused classes a week. Here are a few of my favorite abdominal exercises to strengthen the core at the moment.







Being able to see muscle tone in the abdominal region takes some discipline. Unfortunately we can't "spot reduce" one area of the body. I see people doing hundreds of crunches and sit ups, getting discouraged from not getting the 6-pack they have always dreamed about. To be able to see some definition, you have to lower your body fat. Too much body fat and you won't be able to see your abs. In order for men to start seeing some of their abs they need to be at 10% or below. Women, on the other hands, start to see lines at 13% since women typically store body fat in other areas such as the hips and glutes. There's no quick fix, no miracle diet... you have to earn your Abs! Eating a clean diet (whole foods, and the removal of fast foods and sugar), strength training and including high intensity interval and cardiovascular training are components to losing body fat. Looks aside, what really is important is strengthening your core to avoid injury, prevent back pain and to be able to maintain a healthy quality of life.

My thoughts on marathon training so far....

I'm in my 4th week of official marathon training. This weeks long run is 11 miles, my farthest run in about ten years. I've been very cautious and a little nervous about the high mileage of marathon training. I've honestly never been a huge advocate of marathon training... seeing so many clients, friends, teammates, and students suffer from running related injuries. A lot of people lately have asked me, "Then why are you doing it?". Well I have several reasons for why I'm training for the 26.2 mile adventure in October. I have the typical "bucket list" reason, gotta cross if off my list of things to do in life. I also like working towards something, having a goal and training has pushed me out of my comfort zone. It's easy to fall into a routine, so it feels good to have a little fire under my ass to shake things up. Leaning out is another reason, obviously the extra calories burned will shed some poundage but most importantly I want to be able to learn from this experience and take in all that I can. I want the necessary tools to help future clients and friends with their running goals and training. When I take advice from someone, I find it hard to take them seriously if they lack the real experience. By going through the training and the entire race, I will have the knowledge, the empathy and experience to back me up.

So why am I nervous and training cautiously? You might guess, I'm worried about not being able to accomplish my goal of running 26.2 miles, but that's honestly not it. My biggest concerns are injury and overtraining. My job relies on my body... chronic injury is basically the death of my career. 8 out of 10 runners, fall victim to running injuries. It's the brutal truth, and I've seen many people suffer chronic back, knee, foot and hip pain for the rest of their lives from marathon training. I'm also trying to balance teaching Spin classes, strength training classes, boot camps, etc on top of the running mileage I've added to my weekly routine.

So not only is my goal to run 26.2 miles, but to do it injury free, without feeling completely physically exhausted. (I'd still like to be able to squeeze in a few sessions at the skatepark without my legs feeling like two blocks of concrete). So what's my plan of attack?

I will only be running three days per week, consisting of a short, medium and long run. Most marathon training programs call for at least four days of running, but with all my classes, my legs would be fried if I attempt four days.

I'm following the ten percent rule. This two-part rule specifies: (1) do not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent nor (2) increase the distance of your long run by more than 10 percent per week.

I will have two days of rest per week, just light exercise like walking, tennis, skateboarding, mellow bike riding etc.

I will be Spinning twice a week, which will keep my quadriceps, (the muscles in the front of my thigh) strong. Running is very back of the leg, hamstring focused. Cross training is important to keep your body in balance.

I will include weight training and stretching, which is easy for me because I have to! I get paid to strength train and stretch.

I'm using the foam roller (These are so awesome, if you haven't discovered them, get one!) to help with the recovery process. Hot tub soaks after hard workouts also help fatigued muscles recover. I also plan to use ice baths, I absolutely hate these, but they work to speed up the recovery process by forcing more blood to your muscles.

I'm following the Hard/Easy concept with running. I'm not doing hard workouts on back to back days, and I'm using a sports periodization approach to training. Which in a nutshell, is the 18 week marathon program that I am following.

(These are the Nike 2011Air Maxes I'm training in)



And lastly, on my attempt to stave off injury, I will be swapping out my running shoes about every 400 miles. But can supportive and specially designed running shoes help prevent injury? This brings up a whole new tangent that has been recently brought to my attention. Over the past 30 years, with all of the latest technology and research, running injuries have not gone down. So those fancy, expensive, new shoobie doobies, haven't done much to aid with shin splints, plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, runners knee (IT band syndrome)... My brother brought this up to me when we were discussing marathon training and he asked me if I had heard of the barefoot running movement. I told him I had heard a little about it, but I kinda scoffed at the idea of running on the pavement in my bare feet. He recommended the book, "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall, and I was intrigued when I read all of the reviews. I started reading it last night, and I can't wait to pick it back up and finish it. So far, I think this book may help my quest to run injury free and might change my position on long distance training. I guess we will wait and see. Cross your fingers for me being injury free this marathon season. And for all you former/current marathoners, if you have any tips, advice or suggestions on marathon training I'd love your feedback!

Why does alcohol make you a fatty?

The difference between this:

and this:

May be what you are drinking!

Okay, so most of us have been know to throw back a few beers, have a little wine with dinner or celebrate with some shots. We are all human, and it's fun to party and socialize with a couple of drinks (I'm guilty as most of you all know). But unfortunately, there's a price to pay, and that's not including the headache the next morning. The purpose behind writing this blog entry isn't to preach and tell you to stop drinking all together, but rather give you some knowledge and insight. If you are trying to lean out, build muscle or lose weight, minimizing your alcohol consumption is key.

So how can alcohol contribute to weight gain? When you consume an alcoholic beverage, alcohol is split into two compounds, fat and acetate. The fat is stored, and the acetate is taken into the bloodstream and is your primary source of fuel. What this means, is that rather than burning carbohydrates, proteins or fats, your body is using the acetate from the alcohol as energy. That hamburger you just had with your beer, is basically just put on hold to digest, until the acetate is burned off. So you have this surplus of carbs, protein, and fat circulating in the body with nowhere to go. So where does it all end up? You guessed it...it's converted to fat and deposited on your pretty little waistline.

It takes about one hour for your body to metabolize .5 oz to 1 oz of alcohol. So if you have 5 beers in one sitting, that means your body's digestive system will be put on hold for 5 hours, until the acetate has been metabolized. What makes this even worse is if you are snacking while drinking... Which usually goes hand in hand right? Pretzels and beer, wine and cheese, nachos and margaritas. All that food is just sitting there, not moving... waiting next inline to be used for fuel.

Theres more unfortunately. Man, I sound like a real party pooper don't I? Alcohol is high in calorie content. Carbohydrates and proteins, have 4 calories per gram, and fat contains 9 calories per gram. Alcohol, which has no nutritional value, contains 7 calories per gram. A glass of wine has about the same amount of alcohol and calories as a 12 ounce light beer or a shot of 80 proof liquor. A regular, non-light beer, is even higher in calories, since it contains over twice as many carbohydrates as light beer. So, let's say you relax with a nice big glass of red wine every day, that's about 110 calories a day, about an extra 1000 calories per week, which turns into a lovely 12 pounds of fat per year!!! Below is a chart of the lowest calorie alcoholic beverages, to reference the next time you hit the bar.

Sorry guys, once again there's more. Not only does that hangover slow you down and keep you from getting off the couch, but just a single binge of heavy drinking will vastly increase the levels of the hormone cortisol, and significantly decrease the level of the hormone testosterone. So what does this have to do with your training? Cortisol causes the body to breakdown muscle and suppresses recovery from exercise, while low testosterone makes the body less likely build lean muscle or to burn fat as a fuel. So if you don't like the cute, bulging beer belly, with skinny little arms, legs and butt... think again before you slam those tequila shots!

So any tips when it comes to alcohol consumption and weight loss? Well, obviously we are not all saints, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying life and having fun. I don't expect you to cut alcohol completely from your diet, but if you are serious about leaning out and losing weight, keep it to a minimum. My advice is moderation. Moderation is key. Instead of having a few drinks every day after work, keep it to the weekends. Don't mix your liquor with soda pop, juice or any other sugary beverage. Mix liquor with soda water, a non-calorie beverage or drink it straight up or over ice. Try to drink light beer instead of regular beer. Indulge on top shelf liquor or a really nice wine, and sip it slowly, savoring it. I'm a pretty social person, so it's tough for me not to want to go out all the time, socialize and relax with a cocktail on a sunny afternoon. For me personally, I have to chose 1 or 2 days out of the week, and designate those days, as my "party" nights... the rest of the week I stay in, or stay away from alcohol. Sometimes it's hard to say no, but it's worth it when I wake up in the morning feeling great, look down at my tummy and breath a sigh of relief that I still have a waistline.

So now that I have you all excited about the weekend! Cheers and Good luck!

Squats

I incorporate squats into all my strength training workouts. It's one of the best ways to train and strengthen your lower body. Learning how to perform a squat correctly, will help prevent injuries, build muscle and strength, boost your metabolism and improve your overall look. To get a tight, round booty and shapely legs - you have to do your squats! I never get bored with squats, there are so many variations, it's one of those exercise that will always keep you challenged. By adding more weight, changing your foot stance, doing them on one leg, adding a jump to them... the possibilities are endless.

The squat is a compound, full body exercise that targets the muscles in your thighs, hips and butt. The primary muscles that the squat targets are your Erector Spinae (Lower back), Gluteus Maximus (glutes), Quadriceps (quads- front of thighs), and Hamstrings (back of thighs).

I'd recommend starting with a basic body weight squat, then once mastered, trying different variations. Some of my favorite variations are, one legged squats, squat jumps, sumo squats and overhead barbell squats.

Here are some tips for perfecting your squat that I got from the ACE exercise library:

Step 1
Starting Position: Begin standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width, with the toes turned slightly outwards with your hands by your sides so the palms facing inwards. Depress and retract your scapulae (pull the shoulders down and back).

Step 2
Stiffen your core and abdominal muscles (“bracing”) to stabilize your spine. Hold your chest up and out, tilt your head slightly up, shift your weight back into your heels while pushing your hips towards the wall behind you.

Step 3
Downward Phase: Start the downward phase by first shifting your hips backwards then downwards to create a hinge-like movement at your hips and knees simultaneously. As you lower your hips the knees will then start to shift forward slowly, but try to control the amount of forward translation (movement) of the tibia (shinbone). Maintain tension in the core muscles (continue bracing) and attempt to keep your back flat.

Step 4
Continue to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel or almost parallel with the floor, until your heels begin to lift off the floor, or until your torso begins to round or flex forward. Monitor your feet, ankles and knees, ensuring that the feet don't move, the ankles do not collapse in or out and the knees remain aligned over the second toe.

Step 5
From the Lowered Position: the knees should continue to remain aligned over the second toe and body weight should be evenly distributed between the balls and heels of the feet. From the side, the position of the tibia (shinbone) and torso should be parallel with each other and the low back should appear flat or showing the beginning of some rounding.

Step 6
Upward Phase: While maintaining your back, chest and head-up position, exhale and extend the hips and knees by pushing your feet into the floor through your heels. The hips and torso need to rise together while keeping the heels flat on the floor and knees aligned over the second toe. Continue extending until you reach your starting position.


This is a great example of what a squat looks like in motion...



Remember, building muscle boosts your metabolism, thus helping lose fat. Don't get stuck in the cardio trap that I see a lot of people at the gym doing. They spend hours doing cardio, and don't see results. The more muscle you have, the faster you burn calories all day long.... So if you haven't already added squats and strength training to your routine.... DO IT!!!

Love it...