Popchips and other great things to try!

Okay, my peeps know I am slightly obsessed with Popchips. I eat at them a lot. The whole bag has 3 servings, 120 calories a serving, 4g of fat, 190mg sodium, 18g of carbs. Now, I am not saying these are “good for you,” because they are still “junk food” but they are a whole heck of a lot better than regular potato chips!

So imagine my delight when I find that my fave health food store Trader Joes, has their own brand of popped chips! For HALF the price I was paying!! I saw them, quickly read the stats and they were near identical, so I grabbed a bag of plain and barbecue.

But it doesn’t stop there!!

Next to them were some chips called “Reduced Guilt Skinny Fries.” It’s described as “air-popped potato sticks with sea salt.” They were the same price as the TJ’s popped chips, and the same amount of servings per bag. The calories are a bit lower at 110 per serving, fat lower at 2g, but the sodium is almost double at 320. I grabbed 2 bags of that anyway. I LOVE salty snacks!

I opened a bag in my car, I couldn’t wait. The sticks were pretty good, not as salty as chips, but enough…with an almost airy taste, which means you will want to eat more. They would be a combination of potato chips and fries.  Love them!  It looks like a lot for 3 servings, so maybe I won’t devour the whole bag in one sitting like the popchips!

Other must grabs when you get to Trader Joes:

Kind bars: If you have a sweet tooth, these are better than ANY candy bar I have ever tasted. Well, my opinion. They even have one drizzled in chocolate. These are addictive! I like to buy them buy the case, about $1.49 per bar.

Raw, unsalted nuts and seeds: I have stock piles of nuts, so I only grabbed some raw, unsalted sunflower seeds this time. But try almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds or pistachios (they are roasted, but unsalted)

Hummus: If you never tried this, get thee to Trader Joes and try it! A container is only $1.99

Pizza dough: I didn’t get any this time because I went on my lunch break, but this is great for making homemade pizza.

Edamame: Again, go try these. When I was vegetarian is was a good source of protein for me.

Ezekiel bread: This is one of the very few breads considered “clean” and therefore helpful when trying to live healthier. You’ll have to adjust to the taste, and it’s a bit pricey (TJ has their own brand of sprouted bread).

Pitas: They have various sizes, but I like the mini ones for scooping up hummus, but the regular sized ones are good for stuffing with sandwich fixings.

Tea: Trader Joes has some of the best, cheap tea selections…except they stopped making mine awhile ago and I have yet to find a replacement.

Ask the Trainer: How many calories should I eat?

This was a hot topic of discussion yesterday. To a newbie to a healthy lifestyle/weight loss regime, it can be daunting.

And guess what, this Trainer does not have the answer!

I get this question a lot, but because I have not studied nutrition, this is really not my forte. If you listen to my advice, listen with a grain of salt and do your own research or find a nutritionist to help you. All I can offer is my opinion on things.

Okay, that’s my PT disclaimer.

So really, how many calories do you need to lose weight? Going to depend on so many factors: age, height, current weight, goals, activity level, even gender.

In general, men need between 2,000 to 2,400 calories and woman between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day. Consuming less than 1,200 calories per day can be harmful to your health since it may trigger your body to go into starvation mode, causing your body to actually hold onto calories.

Women in don't need to eat as many calories as men. Also, people who exercise vigorously on a regular basis need to eat more than those who don't.

Me, I’m a fan of calorie cycling. My calorie range is 1300-1600, and most days I stay close to 1300 (I try to never go under 1200), but I must have at least 1-2 days a week where I hit that 1600. Either it’s on my “off day” on the weekend, or a midweek treat. Also, having a high calories day is great if you go off tracked when you did not plan to. The next day, get right back at it and hit that low calorie range and stick to that for a few days.

But listen, if you are extremely overweight, you NEED to eat way more than I do! 1200 calories are not enough and it puts your body in starvation mode…and worse, triggers cravings and binges. If you weigh more, eat more! And for every 10 pounds you lose, recalculate your calories needs. If you increase your activity level, eat more!

Check out this website to calculate your calorie needs: freedieting.com

Ask the Trainer: 10 Minutes 3x a Day or 30 Minutes, What's More Effective?

I thought this was an excellent question! Yes, 10 minutes three times a day can be just effective as 30 minutes!

But you have to make it work, no time for lolly-gagging. If that’s all the time you have, you better MAKE IT WORK! Calories burned is calories burned, right? And if you burn 300 calories walking/jogging on the treadmill, then walking/jogging 10 minutes 3 times a day, should get you a near equal (if not higher) calorie burn.

How is that possible? For me, if I only had 10 minutes, I would go all out, full force and jog for 10 minutes, versus for me (and with many others) jogging for 30 minutes straight is tough and not doable.

So with a 1-2 minute warm-up, I would follow that with a 8 minutes straight jog as fast as my little legs could go, then cool down for one minute, and make sure I get a couple of stretches in. Maybe I do 10 in the morning, 10 in the afternoon, and 10 at night. That’s my MINIMUM of 30 minutes of cardio I suggests everyone does daily.

Here are a couple of other 10 minute workouts you can scatter through-out the day:

• Stationary bike, mine is in my living room, so I can do 10 minutes at a time while watching TV
• Treadmill walk/jog. Start off slow, but then continue to increase your speed every minute going as fast as you can go. For the last minute, go back to a moderate pace.
• Dancing, cut on some music and dance like a rock star for 10 minutes
• Turbo Kick/Fire has a few short videos
• Hip Hop Abs has an awesome 5-minute workout, make sure and do a 2 minute warm-up and 3 minute cool down, even if it’s just walking in place.
• Tae Bo has an 8 minute workout
• Walk stairs! I worked on the 16th floor once, and on breaks, we would go down and up…sometime this took longer than 10 minutes, but whew, this is a workout!
• Create a 10-minute bootcamp style workout, running, jumping jacks, burpees, lunges, squats, shadow boxing, whatever you like.
• Jump rope. This is a tough one, but do three 3-minute increments, and in between do 25 push ups. You will feel the BURN!
• Strength training can be done in 10 minutes too! Do push-ups, lunges and reverse crunches for 30 seconds each. Repeat this sequence for 10 minutes. Alternatively, perform triceps push-ups, body weight squats and Russian twists for 30 seconds each. Repeat this sequence for 10 minutes.

Slightly obsessed with having a six-pack

I think I have at least a dozen blogs about abs, but here are just a few:

Athletic Abs: Start Working baby!

Athletic Abs: Understanding the Abdominals

Athletic Abs: Stop dreaming

Ask the Trainer: Flat Abs

A hard lesson about six-pack abs

I made my 2012 vision board and I think it is slightly focused on getting a 6-pack! And then when I made a mini-vision board to carry in my purse, I noticed that it was all about six-packs!!

Here are some of the things I cut from Oxygen magazines to add to my vision board:

“A six pack is the result of three things: The right cardio training, the correct abdominal training and a good clean diet. Nutrition plays a large role. Your overall body-fat percentage has to be reduced while whittling your middle with an ab routine. No matter how much you train, if your diet isn’t clean then your body won’t be able to shed the water and fat off your abs so you can see a flat, toned tummy. Walk away from the cookie and focus,” says Alicia Marie, fitness model and trainer

The six-pack secret. What keeps our abs buried beneath a layer of fat are empty carbs such as white bread, pasta and rice and of course, baked goods and other sweet treats that combine refined flour and a ton of sugar: two major roadblocks.

“Remind yourself that you are going for your best you. If you want a flatter, tighter, more toned tummy, then work must be put into training – and your diet had to be tight. Follow the rules and everything falls into place,” Alicia Marie says again. LOL, I have an obsession with her and all her fitness tips.

Want abs like these? (with a picture of Alicia Marie showcasing her abs) Eat blueberries. Their naturally occurring antioxidants might help reduce abdominal fat, according to a new study out of Michigan. Make sure to throw in plenty of cardio and some full-body weight training (not just crunches!) to achieve your killer six-pack.

Move to Do: A plank. This is an all-over core strengthener that you can work on gradually (start at 10 seconds, then increase to 1 minute). Fit it in! When you’re waiting for your morning oatmeal to cook, drop to the floor and get it done.

Ways to Burn 100 Calories in 10 minutes

I got this list from Spark People.  If you are not on that site, you need to be.  I need to incorporate more of these.

1. Cycling (12+ mph) or mountain biking

2. Racquetball

3. Running (at least 12 minutes per mile)

4. Swimming laps or treading water

5. Playing basketball

6. Spinning class or stationary biking

7. Rowing

8. Boxing

9. Martial arts

10. Digging (heavy yard work)

11. Jumping rope (continuously)

12. Jumping jacks

13. Rock climbing

14. Walking on the treadmill (at least 4 mph with a 5% incline)

15. Water jogging

16. Kettlebell training



*Calories burned estimates based on a 160-pound woman. Men and people who weigh more will typically burn more calories for the same activity.

Weight loss tips to push yourself

There are always more things we can do to really push ourselves to reach our weight los goals.  here are a few tips.

• There are enough unhealthy food temptations out in the world, don’t put them right under your nose in your kitchen
• You can adapt a workout to kick your booty no matter where you are or what you’re working with.
• Your training and meals should be designed to achieve your specific goals. There is no one size fits all.
• To help you burn fat through the night, stop eating 2 hours before bed.
• Studies show that when you have a buddy you are 7X more likely to stick to a fitness regime
• To make the most out of your workout, always ask yourself, “Can I go HARDER?”
• Check your weight before you start an exercise program and keep checking for changes but don’t expect radical change immediately.
• Cravings should be expected when your body is adjusting to a new eating/diet plan. Pushing through and ignoring those cravings, especially in the beginning of a diet plan, is 100% just a mental game.
• Don’t blow off exercise altogether when something comes up in your schedule. It doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing, push yourself every day to be active.

Tips to Lose Weight Fast!

Here’s a list of the things that I did faithfully, or tried to do faithfully, to lose weight FAST!! 15% of your body weight in 12 weeks is impressive, but I know I had to do a lot of little “tricks” to get there.

1. WARM WATER WITH LEMON every morning, cleanses the body, detoxifies, and helps reduce water retention

2. GREEN TEA, 3-5 five cups every day

3. 12+ cups of water a day, forget what I said about the 8, 12 or more is the way to go!

4. CALORIE-CYCLING, have higher calorie days in the days that follow your weight in, then slowly trickle down to the low calorie end.

5. SUBSTITUE MEALS, like a bar or shake. I don’t like many shakes personally, but having my Kind Bars in a pinch were the right trick for me. Long as it’s around 300 calories a bar, it’s a meal. I’m not saying do these every day, but for me, they help keep my calorie range in check and help with my portions---you don’t overeat when lunch is a bar.

6. NO SALT! And I am a salt addict, but totally cutting it out (even though the food tasted blah to me) helped prevent extra water retention. Some days I was as low as ZERO sodium (which actually is not a good thing, we need some sodium!)

7. No/Low sugar/carbs. No bread, no added sugar, even tried to stay away from artificial sweeteners. Also, last meal of the day, NO CARBS.

8. Stay clear of BANANAS and GRAPES, yes it’s fruit, but both of these turn into the bad sugar and not good for a speedy weight loss. Okay, once in awhile you can have some, just know that these are forbidden fruits for maximum weight loss.

9. 60+ minutes of CARDIO 6 days a week. Go for 2 hours every other day if you can.

10. LAST CHANCE WORKOUT before weigh-in, that means intensify your workout and go for as long as you can, be that two hours or three.

11. STRENGTH TRAIN 3 times a week. You don’t have to go heavy either, but make sure you hit all muscle groups. The more muscle you build, the more fat you burn!

12. SWEAT it out before a weigh-in either in a sauna or workout in sweats. Reserve this little tip for the last week. I did it for the last two and I think it helped. Or if you are aiming for a specific event, like a photo shoot, or wearing a bikini to the beach, this will let those muscles pop.

13. SLEEP…me talking about this? Yes, sleep helps with weight loss. I saw this tip and tried best to follow it. If I don’t have enough sleep, I won’t have enough energy to fuel my crazy workouts!
14. RESIST ALL CHEATS. Now this may contradict with the next tip, but by no cheats I mean, nibbling French Fries here and there, eating the break room donuts/bagels/pretzels, or whatever else is back there, eating random candy, etc. You get the picture. When I say cheats, I mean those little nibbles that add up.

15. BUT ALSO SCHEDULE IN “TREAT” DAYS. This could be semantics, but what I call a treat is, treating yourself to a meal out, or a slice a pizza, or whatever you crave once in awhile. I would have gone crazy without it.

16. WEIGH-IN EVERY DAY, I know some disagree, but this helps tremendously! I weigh and track it on a chart. I can study the ups and downs and actually anticipate the loss.

17. Schedule official WEIGH-IN days on the best day of the week for you, before any possible cheats or treats. I have found (this is me totally honest) that setting your official weigh-in day can affect your success. I prefer later days of the week, Friday or Saturday, but in all honesty, when I started this 12 week challenge, Monday weigh-ins kept me in check over the weekends. I couldn’t go out and eat Chinese on Saturday and then weigh-in on Monday! Which is why I gradually moved it to Thursday…but that just began a vicious cycle of bad weekend, and 3 days to get it off. NO! I was kinda sabotaging myself. (Still won’t make Monday my official weigh-in, but I know I had better success with it)

18. Give yourself a TIMEFRAME for losing FAST, no more than 12 weeks and have a good concrete goal. Some of these tips you just can’t maintain for that long, for me it’s the no salt. I’ve finally added it back and all my food is tasty again.

19. Find SUPPORT that cheers you on with forums like Spark, Weight Watchers or so many others!

I'm sure there is something I am missing, but this is the bulk of it. NOW LET'S BURN SOME FAT!!

Just Lose It Challenge: 4 Big Tips

Someone asked me how am I staying in the Top 10 of the Just Lose It Challenge. It’s not easy, it’s not easy at all. Here are my four pointers.


1. Having a one track mind! Staying in the top 10! If I nibble on a cookie, an extra serving or go out to the Chinese buffet that I love, I know I may not be in the Top 10.

2 CLEAN FOODS! I know you have heard this before, but processed food is really garbage. I have all but eliminated it. Even when I eat a cheat meal, it’s clean foods! Nothing from a box bag, or can. My cabinets are pretty much bare these days.

3. Water, water, water! Lots of it. Half my body weight and more most days. I average 12-14 cups a day, but on days I’ve overdone the salt, 16.

4. I don’t exercise for the faint of heart. Meaning, 30 minutes a day is NOT enough. TWO hours at the gym most days, or I split it with an hour at the gym an hour at home. And not simple walking either! I’m in the front of my Zumba class with as much energy as the Instructor. I lift weights 2-3 times a week. I RUN on the treadmill. At home I do high intensity workouts like P90X Kenpo X or Turbo Kick. If 2 hours is too much, whatever you do, don’t halfway do it! You can rest when your workout is done.

But whatever you do, KEEP DOING IT!!

Just Lose It Challenge: Sneak in Exercise

1. Walk to your destination if it takes fewer than 30 minutes to get there.

2. Do bicep curls with any heavy bags you haul to and from work. They’re as unwieldy as kettlebells, so balancing them forces more muscles to fire.

3. Dance with your kids. Even if it’s to nursery rhyme songs!

4. Clench your butt muscles while climbing the stairs

5. See if you can hold a plank pose for three consecutive minutes every day.

6. Eke out crunches during commercial breaks.

7. Bike to meet pals on the weekend.

8. Wear a watch that monitors calorie burn. Or a pedometers that monitors your steps

9. Perform leg lifts and bridges while you talk on the phone.

10. Set your clock 30 minutes ahead so you have time to run before work.

Taken from Self magazine September 2011

Just Lose It: Weight Loss Tips

• Eat at least three times a day


• Pay attention to your body. When you feel like you have had enough to eat, stop. Quit before you feel full, stuffed, or sick from eating. You can have more if you really are hungry.

• If you still feel hungry are unsatisfied after a meal or a snack, wait at least 10 minutes before you have more food. Often, the cravings will go away.

• Drink plenty of calorie-free drinks (water, tea, coffee). You may be thirsty, not hungry.

• Pick lean meats, low-fat or nonfat cheese and skim (nonfat) or 1% milk instead of higher-fat/higher-calorie choices.

• Get plenty of fiber. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are good sources. Have a high-fiber cereal every day.

• Cut back on sugar. For example, drink less fruit juice and soda.

• Limit the amount of alcohol (beer, wine, and liquor) you drink.

• Keep all the food in the kitchen. Eat only in a chosen place, such as the table. Don’t eat in the car or the bedroom or in front of the TV.

Athletic Abs: Start working baby!

Ready, set, let's go!!

The most effective ab exercises start with the bicycle, which is the best move for targeting the rectus abdominis (i.e., the 'six pack') and the obliques (the waist), according to an American Council on Exercise study.

How to:

1.Lie on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.

2.Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.

3.Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, taking the left elbow towards the right knee.

4.Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.

5.Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.


The captain's chair leg raise is the second most effective move for the rectus abdominis as well as the obliques. You can do a variety of exercises on the captain's chair, which is a rack with padded arms that allows your legs to hang free and can be found in most health clubs and gyms. The key to keeping this move safe and effective is, first, to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to bring the legs up. Second, keeping the knees bent will help you focus more on the abdominals and less on the hip flexors.
How to:

1.Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.

2.Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.

3.Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.

4.Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.


If you don't have access to a captain's chair rack, you can try a ball roll out as a substitute.  Ab rolls are a challenging exercise that targets all the muscles of the core. This advanced move requires attention to detail to avoid straining the back. Make sure you only roll out as far as you comfortably can. If you feel any strain in the back, back off the exercise or avoid it completely.

How to:
1.Kneel in front of the ball and place the hands on the ball, parallel to one another and with the elbows bent.

2.Contract the abs and pull the belly towards the spine.

3.Slowly roll forward and out as far as you comfortably can, until the feel the abs engage. Don't go so far that you hurt your back or collapse.

4.This move does not involve bending the hips, so keep them straight throughout the exercise.

5.Keeping the body straight, slowly pull your body back using your arms and abdominals.

6.Continue for 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps, avoiding this move if you have any back problems.

7.You can change the difficult of the move by placing your hands closer in or further out.

 
The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and is the third most effective move for targeting the rectus abdominis. What makes this move a bit more effective than crunches on the floor is that the legs are often involved in floor crunches. On the ball, the abs do more work.
How to:

1.Lie on the ball, positioning it under the lower back.

2.Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.

3.Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.

4.As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., the ball shouldn't roll).

5.Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

And this is only the beginning!

Basic healthy lifestyle tips

These are compiled from some of my favoriter fitness gurus on twitter.

• Consistency is key. Don't skip workouts by assuming, “one day won't hurt”


• Cut down on your portion sizes gradually - it is not a punishment, just a slight change will make a big difference over time


• Food is fuel not the "enemy". Eat every 2-3 hours.


• Muscle burns Fat. You burn more calories and fat if you do cardio and weight training in your weekly program!


• People who exercise regularly lose more weight and keep it off longer than non-exercisers!
  
• Get your body moving and take care of YOUR HEALTH before you take care of everyone else!
• Don't say, "I can't eat that because I'm on a diet". Say "I choose not to eat that because I know it's bad for me


• If you eat poor quality food you will have a poor quality body!
  
• The cells that make up your skin, hair, internal organs, hormones, brain & connective tissues come from the food you eat!


• Fill your body with Quality Nutrients and your body will run like an Elite Super Machine!
• You will burn more calories throughout the day if you eat small meals every 2 to 3 hours. Feed the furnace.

ASK THE TRAINER

Q: What kinds of food should I eat to lose weight?

A: What a loaded question. I can’t tell you specifically every little bite you should eat, but there are a couple of keys things you should know about nutrition as far as weight loss goes.

1. It’s really all about portion control. You can eat anything (within reason) as long as you are eating the proper portions. There’s the whole thing that brown rice is better for you than white rice, and yes it’s true. But if you must, a ½ cup of white rice every now and then cannot do any harm. It is when you pile 3-4 servings on a plate and eat it nearly every day where problems occurs.


2. Moderation, which is nearly the same as number one. But with moderation, portion control is not the only thing you are watching, it’s how often are you eating something. If pizza is your absolute must have, have 1-2 small slices of cheese pizza every other week, or even less often. You don’t have to give pizza up FOREVER, just learn some moderation.


3. Fill up on the fruits and veggies. Fruits are a great alternative to sugary desserts and candy. Have an apple or banana whenever you have the munchies. It’s so satisfying! Try and eat 1-2 servings of veggies with every meal. Per serving (most ½ cup) the calories are pretty low which means you can have more. The key is to fill half your plate with veggies, ¼ with a protein, and ¼ with a carb.


4. Watch out for low-fat, fat-free products, sugar-free, low-calorie, because they simply add more sugar, salt or other artificial flavoring to modify it. Stick to food in its natural state.


5. Shop from the outer ring at the grocery. The food is less processed, more in its natural state like veggies and fresh meat. If it comes in a box, bag, frozen, canned or otherwise packaged it’s been processed.


6. Read the labels! Most people don’t realize what exactly a portion of pasta, rice or meat is. Labels also include calories, fat, carb, fiber and sodium content, all things to watch when starting a healthy lifestyle. But really, if the food has a label, you’ve strayed out of the outer ring! But that’s okay, just remember portion and moderation.


7. Pack all your meals. This is key when you spend most of your day away from home. This way there will be no temptations to stop for fast food, or hitting the vending machine for a snack. Packs meals, snacks and extra water if needed.


8. Plan all your meals in advance. Shop for the week on one day and pre-cook everything over 1-2 days and put them into serving size containers. This way there is no fretting over what to eat; everything has been taken care of in advance. Always keep some handy standbys on hand like pre-cut veggies, protein bars, and fixins for sandwiches.

I'm sure there are more things I could say here. Nutrition being 80% of the weight loss equation, this is nothing to take lightly. I recommend the Eat Clean book by Tosca Reno because she explains very clearly how to eat the best foods to maximize weight loss.

Eating Rules and Regulations

One can never have too many list of tips! I found this list in my continuing education course Athletic Abs.

• Undereating and undersleeping can cause overtraining.
• Schedule meals in advance
• Become sensitive to your energy needs.
• Don’t skip meals.
• Eat two servings of carbs and one serving of protein at each meal*
• Eating and training speeds your metabolism.
• Consumer most of your calories early in the day.
• Eat slowly to avoid over eating.

*.77 grams of protein per pound of body weight separated into several meals throughout the day for anybody who does cardio and weight training.

20 TIPS TO HELP YOU LOSE THE WEIGHT

1. Track everything you eat & keep within your calorie range.

2. Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day.

3. Veggies should always be the most abundant food on your dinner plate!

4. Use smaller plates at dinner time. Simple, but it works!

5. Measure & weigh everything & adhere to serving sizes for portion control.

6. Use spray butter instead of margarine.

7. Forgo the coffee creamer & drink the coffee black.

8. No sodas of any kind, including diet.

9. Exercise at least 30-60 minutes daily-7 days a week

10. Use a pedometer & walk a minimum of 10,000 steps daily!

11. Eat some type of fish twice a week & limit beef to 1-2 times a month.

12. Veggies, veggies, & more veggies! Raw, steamed, grilled, & sautéed!

13. Pack your lunch w/portable foods when you're out & about even on weekends!

14. Plan ahead when eating out...& take home 1/2 of your entrée.

15. Find a fitness buddy!

16. Keep bowls of fruits & vegetables on the counter & in frig. for easy access

17. Switch to turkey products for your burgers & sausages!

18. Use dabs of olive oil to sauté with & drizzle on veggies for grilling.

19. Focus on getting as many super foods into your diet as possible!

20. Use an all veggie soup to ward off hunger (no meat, legumes, or grains).

OMG! The new Oxygen with Alicia Marie!

Can I say I have a super duper girl crush on Alicia Marie? Seriously! Not because she is totally pretty (I mean, she is) it's just something about her I LOVE! Her body is BANGIN! She's the reason I fell in love with Oxygen magazine, one of her covers that I STILL have hanging in my fitness room for motivation.

So imagine my surprise when I see that she is on the cover ONCE AGAIN!! Her abs are CRAZY! This lady is fab-u-lous! And she's all over Oxygen being featured in several different ads for products. The first thing I did was read her cover article. They don't have her column she usually has. I hope they haven't cancelled it and it's not there because her cover article. Okay, enough about her, let me droll out some fitness tips from the current issue.

Here's Alicia's tips she gives her celebrity clients before the red carpet:

1. Avoid excess salt
2. Get as much sleep as you can
3. Don't do any intense cardio workouts in the 24 hours leading up to it, as you may hold water.
4. And of course, no alcohol for a week before the event!

Yes, I hear you Alicia. Now come train with me for the week! I'll pay all your expenses.