Carbs are Not the Enemy!

Carbs short for Carbohydrates always seem to get a bad rap. The reason is because there is a misunderstanding that there are good carbs and bad carbs. Carbohydrates still need to be consumed because the body NEEDS them for fuel. In fact, they are the primary source of energy for the body. Carbs are found in a wide array of foods - bread, beans, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, quinoa and sweet potato pie. They also come in a variety of forms. This most common and abundant are sugars, fibers and starches. Some examples of your good carbs from these forms are your natural fruits(sugar), vegetables(fiber) and whole grains such as oatmeal(starch).

Where the confusion seems to lie is that when people say,"I have to cut carbs!" and they forget there are a lot of health carbs. One should consume at least 50-60% of their daily intake to be carbohydrates. What should be cut is the processed carbohydrates. Anything with white sugar and white flour such as breads, muffins, donuts, candy, crackers, cakes, waffles, cookies, and pastries. You should also cut the white pasta and opt for whole wheat or brown rice pasta.

Outside of the whole wheat or brown rice pasta and oatmeal, try some brown rice, quinoa, amaranth or millet. Also, load up on your fresh vegetables and fresh whole fruits. When fresh vegetables are not an option, frozen are the next best option.

Carbs are not the enemy. It is a matter of knowing which ones pose a health hazard and could potentially put on the pounds.

The Ultimate Triad for Health

Cardio, Strength Training and Clean Eating. Yep, that's it. If you have one without the other two, it is just not a complete and effective means to meet your goal of a healthier you. Whether you are trying to lose weight, tone up or just get off of your medication(s), you have to have all three in concert.

I just recently consulted with a former client and a current client. The former client was stating how she gained some weight back and knew she needed to get back to exercise. She was counting her Weight Watchers points, but she was also counting the pounds that were being put back on her body because she was not exercising. One "wake up" call was that she was having trouble breathing sometimes at night. She went to her doctor because she thought she needed to change or increase her asthma medication. Her doctor told her she needed to lose the weight. I recommended getting back to her stationary bike and adding in strength exercises that we had performed together.

My current client, who I strength train once per week, was frustrated because those last 10 pounds did not want to seem to budge. For months, I recommended increasing her cardio by running more. In the past few weeks, those pounds are finally moving because although she had the strength training under her belt and ate relatively good, she was not performing the cardio training she needed for her body to respond.

Exercise ideas are bountiful with opportunities offered in fitness classes, gyms, home equipment, videos and the great outdoors, however, this whole idea of clean eating seems to mystify people when I talk to them. What exactly is Clean Eating? In a nutshell, eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (S.A.D) These types of food include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. For some people, this can be drastic, but moving in the direction one step at a time is better than not moving at all. Finally, if something about your health or body needs to change and it has been stagnant, you have to increase your intensity in your exercise and/or change your eating habits. Be Well!

Everyday Weight Loss Tips

Getting off track when trying to lose weight can be part of the norm until you find your rhythm with what you need to do to accomplish your goals. Getting on track is part of the process toward success . . . staying on track is freaking commendable.
We all need reminders when it comes to getting and staying on track when we fall off. Here are 10 tips to incorporate everyday.

1. Plan Ahead. This means plan for your meals with what you are going to eat today, tomorrow or for the week. This can only bring success.

2. Eat Clean 90% of the time. This leaves 10% of leeway to have a few treats such as chocolate or ice cream, but staying within the serving size and not overindulging.

3. Eliminate food products with enriched white flour, white sugar, white rice, white potatoes and too many items on the ingredient label that you cannot pronounce.

4. Exercise with weights, resistance bands and/or your own body weight 3-4 times per week. Changing your body composition only comes when you increase your muscle mass. This happens when you challenge your body with resistance.

5. Eat some type of protein with every meal. Healthy protein such as fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy, beans and lentils help sustain you and repair muscle as you recover from exercise.

6. Eat vegetables with every meal. A variety of vegetables provides natural vitamins and minerals that your body may be missing. Low in calorie, you can only succeed by filling up with vegetables.

7. Eat breakfast daily. Some people will say they are not hungry when they get up. You can always drink your breakfast by having a fruit smoothie with a scoop of protein. It will help break your fast and get your metabolism going.

8. Eat fruit daily. When you start to feed the body with healthy fruits, vegetables and proteins, it will not desire the junk that you may have been feeding it. Get some fruit daily.

9. Opt for wholesome grains that provide fiber such as brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, bulgur, whole wheat and rye. Ridding the body of weight comes with cleaning it out with fiber. Choose high fiber foods.

10. Always celebrate your success with daily affirmations. Know that you can accomplish anything you want to when you put your mind to it. Start your day by looking in the mirror and telling yourself you will be successful toward your goals that day and end it by praising yourself that you did.

Does I Exercise Everyday, Do I Get Sore, Do I Cheat?

My clients know that I walk my talk. If I ask my clients to perform an exercise or suggest to add something into their diet, they know (or should know now) that I have already practiced it or currently practice it. However, I receive questions asking if I EVER take off from exercise or do I eat "clean" ALL the time. The answers are yes and no.

Do I have an occasional piece of chocolate, pizza or cake? Yes! Do I exercise everyday? No! Listen, I like to have foods that may not be considered “clean eating”, but I have worked really hard to get my health and body to where I want it and I will continue to always keep it that way. I also do not exercise everyday, but on the days I do exercise, I work hard. Since I have worked to get to where I want to be, I am in a maintenance stage of my health. Some of you would like to change your body composition and can’t understand why it may not be changing at a pace that you want. Remember, things do not happen overnight and patience is important. During your time of transition, you have to adopt a disciplined mindset for consistent exercise and consistent clean eating with an occasional treat here and there. Your time to relax will come.

I transitioned my body several times for figure competitions and was able to change to the level needed to win a couple of times. The idea of change can happen for you and may be on a different level, but you have to want it and stick with it. Let me say that again, you have to want it and stick with it. I was not always fit, but I was challenged by a trainer along with challenging myself in the years after. You can get to a stage of maintenance, but you have to put in the work and make sacrifices along the way to a better and healthier you.

Another question I receive is, “Do you still get sore from exercise?” Yes, I get sore because I continue to push myself so that I do not plateau. If you don't use your muscles at ANY age, they atrophy. You have to keep it moving and adopt a healthy lifestyle. I am 42, feel better than I did in my twenties, am stronger and in better physical condition.

My story is to start and stay healthy for life and when you do, you can have moments of treating yourself with a piece of chocolate or taking a day off from exercise. Getting started can be simple, but you have to want it and stick to it for your own life.

So, What's MY Story?

When it comes to my career, I love what I do and I love to help people be their personal best physically, mentally and spiritually. My career was not always on this path when I graduated from college. Fitness was a hobby, it became a passion, and I pursued it without looking back.

I started my college career as an Accounting major then switched to Finance. Over time, I found that I did not like the classes and had to study really hard to finish. The writing was on the wall then, but I ignored the signs of disappointment because it was something I thought I wanted to do. I landed a great job at a progressive financial information company and had a wonderful salary with bonuses throughout the 14 years I was there. Some say the bonuses were “golden handcuffs”. When I look back, there were many managers that pushed me along into management roles where I really did not feel comfortable. I later realized over time that the industry, company and job was not where I wanted to be because I did not truly understand what I was doing, but continued to try to make it work.

During the time I worked at the company, I started going to the gym and found stress relief and comfort from exercise. As I started to get physical results (along with the mental relief), other women noticed and started asking questions about what I did. Since I was asked for fitness tips and guidance, I researched getting my personal trainer certificate to work as a trainer a few nights during the week. My book was always full. This was something I was going to do as a hobby for a little extra spending money, but had no intention (at the time) to leave my great salary. Meanwhile, I started to thoroughly enjoy my time as a trainer.

As time went on in the company, management shifted, politics happened and I felt it was time to go. With the grace of God, the support of my husband and my will to pursue my passion, I left to create my own business. I broke free from the “golden handcuffs”. I gained a few clients, decided to train them from my studio or their home and that is where I am today. I have now pursued many other fitness and nutrition certifications with a license in holistic health coaching in addition to my Master of Science in Exercise Science. When I teach and talk fitness, it feels natural and brings me joy.

This is my second career and as stated before, I love what I do. I tell my story for two reasons. One is because I want to share the journey to where I am with helping others be their best in health and the other is to encourage you to find your joy. It may not be your career, but there may be something in your family dynamics, a relationship, your health or spiritual connection that you want to change or find to bring your true joy. Go after it!

Nutrient Composition and Post Workout Meal Timing

I am usually asked how much of the different macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat) one should consume in addition to what one should consume after a workout. Here are some tips for good nutrition:

1. Excess protein consumption is not good for the body. It decreases your calcium absorption and the kidneys are not fond of it. The diet should consist of no more than 15%-30% protein. A way to find how many grams you individually should consume is to take your body weight and divide by 2.2. That will be your weight in kilograms(kg). You can then multiply that by a number between .8 and 1.2 to get the accurate amount of protein grams your body needs. .8 grams will be for someone that is sedentary and 1.2 is for someone that is very active. For example, a 150 pound person that is moderately active needs 68 grams of protein in a day.

2. Carbohydrates are your main source of energy. There are many different types of carbohydrates such potatoes, rice, bread, beans, fruits and vegetables. The diet should consist of 45%-60% carbohydrates. Another suggestion is to have 4 grams per kg of bodyweight. Take your weight in kilograms calculated above and multiply by 4. For example, a 150 pound person should have 272 grams of carbohydrates in a day.

3. Fat is another source of energy the body needs and should not be left out. Consumption should be from healthy monounsaturated and Omega 3 sources such as olive oil, almonds, salmon and avocado to name a few. The diet should contain about 20% of total daily calories from fat sources. The average person should consume maximum of about 80 grams per day, however, if you are trying to lose weight, it should be no more than 45-60 grams per day.

4. All of the above suggestions will vary per person based on age, gender, weight and activity level. You can find the amount of grams a food item has by looking at the nutrition facts on the packaging. Non-packaged items can be found easily online. If uncertain, seek assistance.

5. Lastly, after a workout, it is important to consume the right nutrients and in a timely manner to nourish the body for improvement. After a strength workout, it is important to consume a small amount of protein at least 30 minutes after the workout. If you go for a liquid, whey protein is fast digesting and starts the rebuilding process quicker. It can also be food such as eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese or chicken breast. A full meal should be eaten within two hours after any type of workout. It should consist of a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein with a little healthy fat added.

Life is Full of Choices

Life is full of choices that we have to make all the time. Sometimes we follow the path of least resistance, which is the easy road and sometimes we have to make those tough decisions for career, family and relationships. Improving one's health and wellness becomes a choice, as well. Some people have no problem with making it apart of their lives, while others struggle. The struggle is to be committed and consistent by including some type of physical activity in your life, as well as making healthier choices with foods. There are plenty of reports that say that those choices make one feel better mentally, physically and spiritually, but for some reason something always gets in the way, whether it is the career, family or a relationship.

Did you know that when you take care of you first everything around you seems to fall into place? When you are healthy and well as a result of exercise, your brain functions better, feel good hormones are released, you move better, sleep better and so many other benefits. You have to take care of you in order to take care of those and issues around you.

Many times people start to exercise with the best intentions and then something derails them and then they start and stop again. The cycle continues. Then there is the doctor's annual visit or maybe something does not feel right and that prompted the appointment. He or she suggest to start exercising and change some of your eating habits or you may have to start taking medications for X Y or Z. You don't want to get to this point.

Choose to be healthy and well by exercising at least 3-4 days per week and getting rid of processed foods high in sugar, sodium and fat. Choose to consume low fat meats and dairy, colorful vegetables, whole grains and lots of water. Your life will be more well rounded and balanced when you do.