New Years Resolution Solution

Well it is the start of a new year, another oppurtunity to start off with a clean slate. Many people set fitness goals for themselves around this time of year. Sad to say over 90% of these goals won’t be reached. I am going to layout some of the reasons these goals are not reached and give you some tips for new years resolution success.

First many people are excited to get started and go full force right out the gate and try to do too much too fast. This cause the flame to flicker out really fast and ends up in a failure.

Tip #1: Plan in moderation for success. When first getting back into it make sure to plan your workouts in moderation as well as changes to your diet in moderation. If you try to revamp everything at once you may feel overwhlemed and bogged down by your new fitness venture and end up quitting out of stress and frustration.

Second most people set very unrealistic goals that are too large for them to reach in a quick time frame. Because they set too large of goals even if they are making progress they don’t feel like they are or they are not making progress quickly enough.

Tip #2: Set small acheivable goals that you can reach, once you reach that small goal set another goals and as you get the ball rolling start to set larger goals as you build up your confidence. Example shoot to lose 1 pound a week for the first month back.

Third many people set goals that are very broad such as lose weight or tone up.

Tip #3: Be sure to set goals that are very specific and that are measureable. As the early example of losing 1 pound per week for thirty days is very specific and measureable. You either hit the goal or you don’t and if you don’t you adjust your exercise or nutrition program to help you hit your goals.

Lastly main people don’t have a real motivating factor connected to their goal. If you want ulimate success and people to push through on even the days you don’t want to exercise you more than likely won’t.

Tip #4: Connect your fitness goal to a real purpose. I had a trainer friend who told while talking to his client that he asked why he would like to lose weight and he said to feel healthier and get better shape. After talking to him a little more and real get down to the reason he said that his father passed away at age 50 from being overweight and living unhealty lifestyle and he was 10 at the time, so he missed out on being raised by his father. He then went on to say that he was 49 with daughters and he wants to be around for them so they didn’t have to go through what he went through without having a father. So when you really tie your goal to something as serious as that, it makes it alot harder to hit that snooze button or skip out on a workout.

Bonus Tip: To really ensure your success grab a workout buddy that will keep accountable or sign up for a great program like my bootcamp where we help keep you accountable and motivated while working out with a group in a fun fitness atmosphere.

Fight the Holiday Pounds

It is that time of year again, the holidays. Around this time of year we have alot of parties to go to, shopping to do and dinners to attend. What I want to share with you are a few tips to make sure you stay on track and don’t fall into the trap of gaining those unwanted holiday pounds.

See with all the busy things that come with the holiday it can really throw a wrench in our regular routine. So what usually happens is we put all these things ahead of taking care of ouselves and before you know it, you are skipping your workouts, eating on the go (if eating at all), or over eating because you are stressed and falling into the trap of gaining those holiday pounds that way to many people just except as the normal routine.

So what should you go to make this year different?

First and foremost make sure to put your fitness and nutrition program on top of the to do list everyday.

Second be sure to plan ahead. If you know you are going out shopping all day make sure their is somewhere healthy to eat near where you are going to or be sure to pack a healthy snack to eat while you are out.

Third if you’re traveling out of town for any reason be sure to research the area for a local fitness center or check out your hotels fitness center. Biggest thing when checking out your hotels fitness cente is to make sure you know the hours of the facility, also how much the facility really has to be sure it is enough to complete your routine. Another great thing is if you are going to be out of town is tag along with a friend or family member that enjoys working out and create a buddy system to help keep each other on track.

Here is sample workout if you have limited equipment and need an at home workout for the holidays.

For each exercise complete 12-15 reps for 3-5 Rounds (be sure to warm up for 5-10 minutes prior and stretch after finishing)
1) Bodyweight Squat Jumps
2) Push Ups
3)Burpees
4)Sit Ups
5)Leg Raises

Be sure to stay on track this holiday season and not get caught in the holiday weight gain trap.

Do you wish you could change something about your life right now?

Hey everyone I came across this great post from a fellow Fit Body Boot Camp owner and wanted to share it with you. He really hit the nail on the head with this one. I couldn’t have said better myself so I didn’t try to. Read on for a great post by Vito LaFata owner of South Orange County Fit Body Boot Camp and Fitness Evolved.

I’m here to argue that change can happen in an instant.

I know this goes against popular thought. Most people believe that change has to be worked at for months or even years. We expect to try and fail numerous times before we ultimately give up or succeed.

How many people do you know who struggle with their weight? They want to make a healthy change by getting in shape, but the change never seems to take hold.

Is there something in your life that you want to change? Do you have weight to lose? Do you have high blood pressure? Do you have a pair of pants that you wish you could fit into?

What is keeping you from making a positive change in your life?

According to professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, it’s the getting ready to change that takes time. In the end there’s a single instant when the change occurs. Robbins goes on to outline three specific beliefs that you must have in order to instantly create a lasting change.

Belief #1: Something must change.

Do you sort of want to get into shape, or do you absolutely have to lose the weight? Does dropping a few pounds sound nice, or is living another day in your current body unbearable? In order to make a lasting change you must be convinced that the time has come.

Belief #2: I must change it.

It is vital that you take full responsibility in making the change. Sure, others may assist you, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to need this change enough to make it your personal mission—no one else will do it for you.

Belief #3: I can change it.

Don’t let past failures get in your way. The truth is that you do amazing things when you put your mind to it. Believe that you are capable of losing weight or making any other positive change in your life.

Why do most people fail to make lasting change? They leave it up to willpower. This works for awhile, but you’ll always revert back to what’s comfortable. The solution?

Change what you’re comfortable with.

You’ve probably heard that humans are motivated by two things: 1) to avoid pain and 2) to gain pleasure. When you want to change a behavior pattern the key is to associate pain with the behavior that you don’t want and pleasure with the behavior that you do want.

You know that you want to lose weight and that to do so you need to quit eating comfort food late at night. You also know that you need to start exercising on a regular basis. Up until this point your brain is trained to associate pleasure with eating comfort food late at night and to associate pain with exercise.

It’s time to retrain your brain to feel good about exercise and to feel bad about eating late at night. Think about all of the negative things about being overweight and connect these unpleasant thoughts to your late night snack. Now think about all of the wonderful things about being in shape and connect these pleasant thoughts to exercise.

You are capable of making a big change in your life.

Remember, change can happen in an instant.

A Little Bit Goes Far

Do you have diabetes or high blood pressure? Did you know that by just dropping as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight these problems can be greatly alleviated? Just think how great you will feel after losing excess weight and improving your health!

Even just a few pounds a month can really add up. Just think if you lost 5 pds a month which is about 1.25 pds per week for a whole year you would lose 60 pounds. Holy Cow!!!Are you kidding me that will help with so many conditions and aid in prevention from dieseases that you may not even know you are at risk for.
It is a fact that by decreasing your weight by a mere five to ten percent could positively decrease the chances of you having or developing heart disease or a stroke. Plus, how your heart functions would also improve as well as your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride count will decrease. Not only will it help with diesease prevention but small things suchs as your range of motion, alleviated pressure off your joints, especially your knees and back, as well as make every day tasks and chores easier for you to do.

So here is a tip to get on the right track and stay the course: Research suggests that losing 1/2 to 2 pounds a week by making healthy food choices, eating moderate portions, and building physical activity into your daily life is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. So set small goals and stick to them and over time you will have come along way and have a greater chance of longer term suggest. So remember every journey starts with just a few steps you never where those steps may take you.

Feel free to share your questions or comments below.

Free Flavor

Looking to add flavor to your meal without adding extra calories? Try fresh herbs and spices. You will enjoy more flavor AND a smaller you! This is really a great way to spice up your food and make it taste great while still being healthy. Alot of times we tend to think that eating healthy taste bad and has no flavor, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Great fresh herbs are thyme, cilantro, rosemary, and parsley just to name a few. Great spices are cinnamon, nutmeg, and chili powder to add a kick. Freshly squeezed lemon and lime are great to add some flavor as well.

So here is one of my favorite whole wheat chicken tortilla wraps. Grilled chicken with zesty lime ms.dash’s seasoning. Grill the chicken and then fork pull the chicken to shred it. Place romain lettuce on top of tortilla, place chicken on top of romaine, add freshly chopped cilantro and if you like to spice it up a few dashes of frank’s red hot and squeeze fresh lime on top. Very quick, easy and delicious.

These herbs and spices can really add the flavor to any meal with out adding calories. So for all my bootcampers share some of your favorite herb and spices recipes and get 3 points added to your total for this months contest.

#1 Fat Loss Secret

MINDSET, See here is the truth your mind will always control the outcome no matter what. So if you constantly have negative, doubtful thoughts you are never going to reach your goals. You need to stay positve day in and day out no matter what. If you have a little stumble along the way it is ok, have a short memory and move on. What happens too often is many people focus on the negative or their mistakes. What this does is keeps you in a negative state and makes you feel constantly defeated. When you feel defeated it is very steep up hill climb with no end in sight, so many give up before they even really get heading toward their goal(s). The crazy thing is the whole battle back in forth was in their head and how they decided to look at the situation. So you see the picture of the two ships you can be either the larger ship that can take on the big ocean and be confindent you can take on whatever the ocean throws your way. Or on the other hand you can be the small ship and not even feel comfortable to get on the thing because it may tip over from you just being in it, you for sure would not trust it to journey out in the big ocean with. In the smaller ship you will be defeated before your trip even starts yet alone you would not be able to enjoy the journey and stay positive along the way. Always choose to be the able larger ship so you can take on anything that comes your way and overcome it to get to your goal(s).

Sleep Fat Off!

Did you know that sleep is a vital component for weight loss? A study done at the University of Chicago concluded that people who got less than four hours of sleep actually had increased levels of the hormone cortisol and insulin—which are linked to a difficulty in processing carbohydrates. Tonight go tobed early, and wake up slimmer!

The following is from expert fitness writer Max Powers
“Most people don’t really believe in the “get more rest theory” to losing weight because it just doesn’t make sense, at least on one hand it doesn’t. That is because individuals burn fewer calories while they are sleeping than while they are awake, so obviously this is a big hole in the theory. Or, so many people
think. However, despite the fact you burn fewer calories when you are asleep than when you are awake you do not eat when you are asleep and this is what makes the biggest difference in this claim. Consider if you only sleep 4 hours a night. That means you have an extra 3-4 hours to consume calories that might be
making you overweight rather than if you went to sleep for 7 to 8 hours and ate nothing during this time frame. You will be surprised how many calories you would not consume in a day simply by sleeping the recommended daily amount of 7 hours.

Another point is that when you are deprived of sleep, grehlin, a substance in your body, is increased and this makes you want to eat more. Not to mention that sleep deprivation reduces the amount of leptin in the body, a substance that suppresses appetite and lets you know when you are full. So, when you are sleepy
your body tells you it is hungrier than it is and cannot let you know when you have filled up as efficiently as it could if you got enough rest.”

So basically you can see what max is saying here is the more well rested your body is the less it will send the wrong signals to your body which cause you to over eat. Secondly the more sleep you have in a day the less time you are awake and eating instead resting and allowing your body to recover back to 100%.

Stress The Importance of Stretching!

Always warm up and stretch all of your major muscles before you begin exercising. This helps prevent injury and reduces muscle soreness. If you are going to exercise specific muscle groups be sure to make sure they are warmed up and stretched effiecently enough to be ready for your workout.

I can’t stress stretching enough. From novice to experience level exercisers this is probably the number one over looked and skipped part of fitness regimen. On the same note in my opinion it is one of the most important parts of any exercise program. Furthermore even if you don’t exercise stretching is still very beneficial to you. There are many reasons and benefits to stretch but here are a few. One of the greatest benefits of stretching is that you’re able to increase your range of motion, which means your limbs and joints can move further before an injury occurs. Post-exercise stretching can also aid in workout recovery, decrease muscle soreness, and ensure that your muscles and tendons are in good working order. The more conditioned your muscles and tendons are, the better they can handle the rigors of sport and exercise, and the less likely that they’ll become injured.

Those are some pretty awesome benefits if you ask me, on the flip side there are many negatives that can occur if you choose to skip stretching. By skipping stretching you are putting your body at risk of extreme muscle soreness,strains,and tears. You can put your joints and ligaments at risk of strains and tears. The worst of all when these injuries occur they put your exercise program as well as your results to a screaming hault.

Good news, stretching is easy, it feels good and it comes naturally meaning it doesn’t take a large learning curve to make sure you are using proper form. So next time you think of hitting the snooze button a few more minutes or hurrying out after a workout and decide to skip out on stretching think twice and treat your body kindly and it will treat you kindly. Any comments or questions leave a comment below. For more great info and tips vist JM Fitness Magazine above.

BE ACTIVE

Don’t limit your physical activity to just the gym! Be on the lookout for daily opportunities to burn extra calories – take the stairs instead of the elevator and park at the opposite side of the parking lot! These short bursts of physical activity will go a long way towards your weight loss goal!

If you are parent another great way to get active is spending quality time playing active games with your kids. Great games like tag, throwing football, and other games that you both enjoy and get you moving. Before you know it time will fly by having all that fun and you burned some extra calories for the day.

Other great little tips are when you head out shopping don’t always look for the closest spot. Welcome the oppurtunity to walk a little further. Challenge yourself to walk from the end of the parking lot a few times when you head out shopping, enjoy the walk, the weather, and destress a little knowing your burning some extra calories. Also when your out shopping challenge yourself to carry your grocery and skip the shopping cart if possible to give the body a little upper body workout.

So throughout your day just think be active and you will help burn some extra calories without evening knowing it. Leave any questions or comments below.

Do you plan ahead?

The next time you find yourself in the midst of planning an outing, take your time when choosing a restaurant. Don’t settle for fast food or other unhealthy options—rather pick an eatery that caters to your health conscious side. With the Labor Day weekend upon us it is a good time to highlight how planning ahead can keep you on track and really save yourself from eating tons of unwanted/needed calories.

A big strategy in any successful diet and exercise regimen is to make sure you are looking ahead so you can plan accordingly to make sure you can fit your workout and nutrition into your up coming schedule. This one strategy alone can reap so many rewards and keep you on track and progessing toward your goals. As the old saying goes fail to plan, plan to fail.

First things first in everyday life it seems these days that everybody is short on time and convenience eating has gone up significantly in the past few years. Well it is no wonder so has obesity, but that it is a whole post in and of itself.

But a great way to make sure you have meals for the week and not spending tons of time cooking everyday is to pick two days a week (I personally like Sunday and Wednedays) that you pre plan your meals for a few days prepare them and have them stored away ready to go when you need them. This does two things, first it is a quick warm up and your meal is ready to go, secondly you spent time making and preparing these meals so you will think twice about stopping out somewhere to eat knowing that you have food at home waiting for you that you spent time preparing and don’t want it to go to waste.

Now for special occasions such as labor day picnic or other social outings you maybe going to there a few tricks that you can do to make sure you have some healthy foods and not steer to far off track. One good tip is any social gathering you go to is bring a veggie tray it is always nice and politie to bring an item with you and if there is not many healthy options there you can always graze on the veggies you brought. Another great tip is to ask the host what they plan on serving for the party if you know there won’t be too many healthy options you can fill up at home before you head out and pack a small snack to take with you. Find a buddy who is also looking to stay on track and is eating healthy as well that is going to the party is always a good idea.

There are strength in numbers and you won’t feel like you are missing out when you and a friend are supporting each others healthy habits.

Last but not least volunteer to host the party yourself and serve healthy tasty items to help introduce friends or family around you to some great tasting healthy options that you know will be a hit. If you need any tips or recipes check out JM Fitness Magazine

I hope this gets you thinking about planning ahead and creating a good action plan to keep yourself on track with your fitness and nutrition plan. Please leave any questions or comments below and have an AWESOME labor day.