Things to avoid - AT ALL COST.
1.Soda.....Yes even diet!
2. Fast Food (except Subway and Bread Co.)
3. Anything Fried (unless it is flash fried in a pan with 1-2 TBS of EVOO)
4. Nothing with High Fructose Corn Syrup
5. Try to stay away from "WHITES" (white flour, sugar, salt, white rice)
6. Don't eat past 7:30 pm
7. Double servings of food that sneak up on you (read the label and measure).
Healthy Alternatives:
1. Water or Green Tea (If you drink a lot of soda then cut back to 1/2 of what you drink now.)
2. Pack your Lunch
3. Baked, Broiled, Grilled, Poached, or Steamed
4. All natural products and sugars
5. Stick with 100% whole grains (not whole wheat or whites)
6. If you are hungry drink a lot of water.
7. Plan meals in advance
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Water is your friend
Water is my friend! Water is my enemy! I just call it my frenemy!
I love water, I do! On average, I drink about 10-12 cups a day. Lately, I've been aiming for 16 with success. Some days it is a chore, most days very easy. Everyone has heard about the 8 glasses of water a day. So why do I drink so much?
One, because I am super active, thus require more than the norm. Two, I tend to lean on the high side of sodium intake, and need the extra water to reduce sodium retention. Three, I just love water!
I always tell others this: If you don’t change anything else about your lifestyle, but add 8+ cups of water a day, you will lose weight!!
Well, initially that is. Initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water, and you need to drink an adequate amount of water in order to avoid dehydration. So, you’re upping you water intake, from say, 2 cups to 8. The body no longer needs to hold on to that water like it is dying in a desert. The body will release any extra water it was holding (retention) and that will equal a significant weight loss on the scale. (Part of the reason those numbers are insanely high in Biggest Loser).
I also tell those questioning the benefits of water this: it helps you to feel fuller, quicker!
But listen, we can’t live off water alone, so you still need to eat! Drinking water with a meal will help you feel full sooner and therefore you will be satisfied eating less. However, drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated (not hungry) our body needs bulk, calories and nutrients.
Still not sold on the idea of drinking all that water? Some worry about drinking too much water, but that will likely never happen. Your body will tell you when it has had enough. Water will not cause you a bloated look. There are a number of causes of water retention, including consuming to much salt, but drinking water is none of them.
When you drink enough water, your urine will usually be pale yellow, though vitamin supplements and antibiotics can discolor it. On the other hand, you shouldn’t need to run to the bathroom too frequently. When in doubt, drink a little more.
Here are a few of my quick tips:
*If you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated, so please drink enough throughout the day to avoid that feeling.
*Drinking other liquids provides your body with a source of water, but note diuretics cause your body to expel water. Diuretics include caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee and soda) and alcohol. When drinking diuretics, drink more water to compensate
*Some prefer ice cold water, other room temperature. Drink it however you prefer to ensure you get in your allotment every day.
*Use at least a two-cup bottle or cup. This lessens the amounts of time you have to fill it up. I prefer a 3 or 4 cup bottle just because I only have to refill 3-4 times a day.
*Keep your water bottle/container with you at all times. It’s always at my desk, in my car, several have collected around my bed.
*Drinking water helps to keep your skin clear and young looking. It’s the best facial you can buy.
*For variety, I add lemon to some of my water. Or Crystal Light (or any other form of drink mixes) to no more than half my daily water. It still counts, just don’t do this with ALL your water.
*Start off small. If you never even gulped down 1 glass a day, going from 0 to 8 could be bad business for you body. Start with drinking one cup at every meal, and sipping water throughout the day. This way, you can easily manage 3-4 cups. Then add 2 cups to that intake until you have worked your way up to 8 a day.
*If you’re very active, live in a very warm area, sweat a lot, or if you are overweight or obese, you will need more than 8 cups. But 8 is a good starting point.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
If not at the gym, at home!
But just workout!! Why is it so hard for some people to workout? Why do we (me included) come up with some of the LAMEST excuses?
For the most part, I exercise daily. But then there are those days I come up with crazy excuses.
“Well, I ate good today, so I can skip my workout.”
“Well, I ate so bad today, why even bother.”
RIGHT!! I’ll admit it if you will!
When I belonged to a gym, I was obsessed with getting there EVERY DAY!! If I missed a day, I did not work out at all. So you know when that weather got bad, many workouts were missed. What a waste when I have oodles of workouts at home.
Actually, I really prefer workouts at home and have given up on joining gyms (well, not given up, but it’s not feasible now.) But I can get any great workout at home! Through DVD workouts, designing my own, dancing for 30 minutes, going walking in the park, and if I ever put it together, riding my stationary bike.
I get many people asking me which is better, the gym or at home. Only you can answer that. I like both and can get great workouts at either, but I PREFER home. Some people don’t feel motivated enough at home, they need the accountability of showing up at a class, or they need to make the rounds at the weight station. Do whatever works for you.
If you are a do-it-at-home type of person, make sure you have a variety of workouts that include strength training. Make sure you have several sizes of weight and increase the weights as you progress. Resistance tubing, weighted bars, gloves, barbells, and a bench are also nice to have for strength training. Other equipment to use at home is: stability ball, jump rope, step, resistance tube door straps, medicine ball and a mat.
All you need are a few DVDs in your collection to have a nice rotation. My faves are: Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Jam, Tae Bo, The Firm and P90X. But there are so many workouts out there, find something you enjoy and just do it!
For the most part, I exercise daily. But then there are those days I come up with crazy excuses.
“Well, I ate good today, so I can skip my workout.”
“Well, I ate so bad today, why even bother.”
RIGHT!! I’ll admit it if you will!
When I belonged to a gym, I was obsessed with getting there EVERY DAY!! If I missed a day, I did not work out at all. So you know when that weather got bad, many workouts were missed. What a waste when I have oodles of workouts at home.
Actually, I really prefer workouts at home and have given up on joining gyms (well, not given up, but it’s not feasible now.) But I can get any great workout at home! Through DVD workouts, designing my own, dancing for 30 minutes, going walking in the park, and if I ever put it together, riding my stationary bike.
I get many people asking me which is better, the gym or at home. Only you can answer that. I like both and can get great workouts at either, but I PREFER home. Some people don’t feel motivated enough at home, they need the accountability of showing up at a class, or they need to make the rounds at the weight station. Do whatever works for you.
If you are a do-it-at-home type of person, make sure you have a variety of workouts that include strength training. Make sure you have several sizes of weight and increase the weights as you progress. Resistance tubing, weighted bars, gloves, barbells, and a bench are also nice to have for strength training. Other equipment to use at home is: stability ball, jump rope, step, resistance tube door straps, medicine ball and a mat.
All you need are a few DVDs in your collection to have a nice rotation. My faves are: Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Jam, Tae Bo, The Firm and P90X. But there are so many workouts out there, find something you enjoy and just do it!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Tyra Banks takes a stand!
Love her! On America's Next Top Model last night, the model that seemed to have an eating disorder, or at least, a distorted body image was sent packing! In my opinion, there are others there thinner, but that particular model's image of her body and how she treated it, was enough reason for her to leave. The others are naturally thin, probably eat whatever and stay so...but she admitted to not eating to stay thin, which is UNHEALTHY.
Hey, we all can't be a size negative, or zero, or whatever the heck the average top model is. But guess what, she could still be a model at a healthy size 4 or 6 if that is what her body naturally gravitates to. I think she said "I was a lot heavier before." And then she says she weighed 135, now she's 110. SHE IS 5'10"! What kind of nonsense are we feeding women?
And I don't think they noticed her weight much before. The way the show is set up, they are cast and then go home for awhile before the show starts. I think in that time, she starved herself to get thinner. Hmmmm. Maybe she thought that's what the industry wants. I hope she had a wake-up call.
But in her exit interview she replied that unless 3-4 other modeling agencies said she was too thin, she wouldn't change her look. Wow! Tyra needs to offer her counseling.
Again, WE are so obsessed with being thinner. I know I WAS. A size four wasn't small enough, I still wanted to lose. That is not me anymore. Long as I eat healthy and exercise, I will just appreciate the body that I have. Let's wake up people!
Hey, we all can't be a size negative, or zero, or whatever the heck the average top model is. But guess what, she could still be a model at a healthy size 4 or 6 if that is what her body naturally gravitates to. I think she said "I was a lot heavier before." And then she says she weighed 135, now she's 110. SHE IS 5'10"! What kind of nonsense are we feeding women?
And I don't think they noticed her weight much before. The way the show is set up, they are cast and then go home for awhile before the show starts. I think in that time, she starved herself to get thinner. Hmmmm. Maybe she thought that's what the industry wants. I hope she had a wake-up call.
But in her exit interview she replied that unless 3-4 other modeling agencies said she was too thin, she wouldn't change her look. Wow! Tyra needs to offer her counseling.
Again, WE are so obsessed with being thinner. I know I WAS. A size four wasn't small enough, I still wanted to lose. That is not me anymore. Long as I eat healthy and exercise, I will just appreciate the body that I have. Let's wake up people!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Getting the weight off once and for good
"I'm a yo-yo dieter."
The bad term there is "diet." Most fitness professionals don't use the term, and I am one of those. Call it anything else but a "diet." I prefer "lifestyle change." The change part means, you are making some adjustments to your current lifestyle. You are watching your food intake, cutting calories, adding exercise, or whatever it is you need to do to lose the weight. The lifestyle part is simply what it says, this is not a fad or one time thing, this is something you will be doing FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!
Most people don't get this. They want the quick fix. They want that special occasion, "How can I lose 10 pounds for my (insert--reunion, birthday, anniversary, holiday, special occasion)."
Okay, fine, I can HELP you, but then what? Will you stop having a healthy lifestyle and continue eating what you ate before, and thus gaining it all back and then some? This is the "yo-yo dieter." They are doing temporary "diets" that really don't work. Anyone can lose 10 pounds quickly by doing one of those fad diets (if they stick to it by the letter), but after that period of time is over, have they learned how to stay healthy and at their ideal weight?
You want the weight off once and for good? Make it a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. Don't cut out carbs in your lifestyle change if you know you can't permanently give it up. Cut back on it, eat whole wheat, watch your portion sizes. But whatever you do, don't cut out something that you know will be hard to give up. Moderation is the key.
Same with sugar, chocolate, salt, fast food, French fries (my weakness) and other foods that you crave. For me, I have French fries on special occasions, which is not that often, maybe once every two months or so (if that). Instead, I make a healthy baked fry, sometimes with sweet potatoes, and I don't miss the fried kind at all. Still have to watch my intake of those, but at least I don't feel too guilty about it.
Whatever your weakness is, find a healthier version, and keep it down to a low moderation. A health lifestyle does not mean you can't enjoy pizza once in awhile. It does not mean you can't go out and be social with your friends and have a drink. It does not mean celery sticks and bland foods either. Everyone's healthy lifestyle will be different from another, so don't try and copy what others do.
Do YOU, and I'll do ME!!
The bad term there is "diet." Most fitness professionals don't use the term, and I am one of those. Call it anything else but a "diet." I prefer "lifestyle change." The change part means, you are making some adjustments to your current lifestyle. You are watching your food intake, cutting calories, adding exercise, or whatever it is you need to do to lose the weight. The lifestyle part is simply what it says, this is not a fad or one time thing, this is something you will be doing FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!
Most people don't get this. They want the quick fix. They want that special occasion, "How can I lose 10 pounds for my (insert--reunion, birthday, anniversary, holiday, special occasion)."
Okay, fine, I can HELP you, but then what? Will you stop having a healthy lifestyle and continue eating what you ate before, and thus gaining it all back and then some? This is the "yo-yo dieter." They are doing temporary "diets" that really don't work. Anyone can lose 10 pounds quickly by doing one of those fad diets (if they stick to it by the letter), but after that period of time is over, have they learned how to stay healthy and at their ideal weight?
You want the weight off once and for good? Make it a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. Don't cut out carbs in your lifestyle change if you know you can't permanently give it up. Cut back on it, eat whole wheat, watch your portion sizes. But whatever you do, don't cut out something that you know will be hard to give up. Moderation is the key.
Same with sugar, chocolate, salt, fast food, French fries (my weakness) and other foods that you crave. For me, I have French fries on special occasions, which is not that often, maybe once every two months or so (if that). Instead, I make a healthy baked fry, sometimes with sweet potatoes, and I don't miss the fried kind at all. Still have to watch my intake of those, but at least I don't feel too guilty about it.
Whatever your weakness is, find a healthier version, and keep it down to a low moderation. A health lifestyle does not mean you can't enjoy pizza once in awhile. It does not mean you can't go out and be social with your friends and have a drink. It does not mean celery sticks and bland foods either. Everyone's healthy lifestyle will be different from another, so don't try and copy what others do.
Do YOU, and I'll do ME!!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Identifying with a size zero
Size Zero: I'm going to be a pescetarian.
KStyle: Cool. Why?
Size Zero: I need to lose 10 pounds before my wedding.
KStyle: Why?
Size Zero: So I can fit into my wedding dress, or any dress for that matter.
(Me thinking where the heck will that 10 pounds come from.)
KStyle: Let me ask you, what size do you wear?
Size Zero: Anywhere from a zero to a four.
And you thought only the "thick," "plus-sized," and the "overweight" had problems?
I had so many problems with this conversation. First, I never believe that changing to vegetarian, or even pescetarian (fish only) would prompt a drastic weight loss. It doesn't!
Two, if you see this size zero woman, trust me, there is not 10 pounds she can spare to lose. The only suggestion, and I have made this to her, is she needs to tone up. She's the "skinny fat" you hear about. Skinny every where, but flabby. Whenever she wears jeans, there's a pronounced overhang in the abdomen region, better known as muffin-top.
But she's a die-hard cardio queen, like I am...or was. I have preached to her about the importance of strength training, that's all she needs. Killing the treadmill for hours a day WILL NOT get rid of that muffin top.
I typically don't ask women what size they wear. It doesn't really matter to me. I have a good gauge at guessing a person's size, and I'm pretty good at it. And there is NOTHING wrong with being a size zero. She doesn't look overtly skinny to me, she looks fine. But I'm afraid the 10 pound loss would put her on the "looks sick" side of thin, especially if she does not ST to tone up. I'm anywhere from a size four to an eight, but I don't look it. Because STRENGTH TRAINING tones you down and make you appear leaner.
But what do I know. It's her body to lose the 10 pounds for. When she wants my real input about it, I'll gladly give it to her and set up a training plan for her.
Sometimes, it's hard to be a personal trainer, when everyone asks but does not follow your advice!
KStyle: Cool. Why?
Size Zero: I need to lose 10 pounds before my wedding.
KStyle: Why?
Size Zero: So I can fit into my wedding dress, or any dress for that matter.
(Me thinking where the heck will that 10 pounds come from.)
KStyle: Let me ask you, what size do you wear?
Size Zero: Anywhere from a zero to a four.
And you thought only the "thick," "plus-sized," and the "overweight" had problems?
I had so many problems with this conversation. First, I never believe that changing to vegetarian, or even pescetarian (fish only) would prompt a drastic weight loss. It doesn't!
Two, if you see this size zero woman, trust me, there is not 10 pounds she can spare to lose. The only suggestion, and I have made this to her, is she needs to tone up. She's the "skinny fat" you hear about. Skinny every where, but flabby. Whenever she wears jeans, there's a pronounced overhang in the abdomen region, better known as muffin-top.
But she's a die-hard cardio queen, like I am...or was. I have preached to her about the importance of strength training, that's all she needs. Killing the treadmill for hours a day WILL NOT get rid of that muffin top.
I typically don't ask women what size they wear. It doesn't really matter to me. I have a good gauge at guessing a person's size, and I'm pretty good at it. And there is NOTHING wrong with being a size zero. She doesn't look overtly skinny to me, she looks fine. But I'm afraid the 10 pound loss would put her on the "looks sick" side of thin, especially if she does not ST to tone up. I'm anywhere from a size four to an eight, but I don't look it. Because STRENGTH TRAINING tones you down and make you appear leaner.
But what do I know. It's her body to lose the 10 pounds for. When she wants my real input about it, I'll gladly give it to her and set up a training plan for her.
Sometimes, it's hard to be a personal trainer, when everyone asks but does not follow your advice!
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