Realistic New Years Resolutions

 

It happens every year, ask anyone what their New Years Resolution is and it's probably something like "lose weight", "go to the gym", or "go on a diet". While these are not bad things, but the problem is people too often set their goals too high and fall off the wagon. The trick is to set realistic goals

for yourself.

Here are some resolutions you can try to be more successful in 2015:

1) Strive to eat better. Don't just eliminate foods, but instead add more healthy food options. Grab an apple instead of a bag of chips, or opt for whole wheat/whole grain over white breads/starches.

2) If you are not a fan of the gym, but still want to get exercise, find a fun alternative like joining an adult sport league, taking a dance class, or workout routine like Zumba or yoga.

3) Drink more water. Swap out sugary drinks like soda or iced tea for water. Drink tea instead of coffee. Try not to add anything to your drinks like artificial flavors, sugar, milk, etc. If you are not a big water fan, add fresh fruit to give it flavor and some added nutritional bonuses.

4) Sleep more! Eating healthier and exercising is great, but one thing Americans are terrible at is relaxing! Sleep is so important both mentally and physically. Give yourself a bedtime, even if you haven't had one since you were 10, strive to be in your bed, even if you know you won't fall asleep right away. Also avoid TV or electronics too close to bedtime. Instead listen to calming music or read.

5) Document everything. Keep track of what you eat in a diary, you can write it down the old fashioned way or use an app on your smartphone (I recommend MyFitnessPal or NikePlus). Take photos of yourself, see the visual changes to your body, not just the numbers on the scale.

6) Take a start weight and end weight, from the New Year to the end of the year (or if you have a shorter length goal because of a wedding or some other special event). DO NOT check the scale between your start and end date. It's not all about the numbers on the scale. Make it about your body, how it looks, feels, and fits into clothes. Instead of measuring pounds, take body measurements or go by clothing sizes.

Year Of The Plus Size

This has been a great year for plus sized people! Finally, plus size models are getting the attention they deserve. This year, curvy women have been getting recognition with more and more appearing in magazines, on runways, and elsewhere. While I'm personally still not a fan of the term "plus-size", since the average American woman is a size 10, it is still wonderful to see women with shape and a variety of sizes in advertisements and other forms of media. So Let's celebrate every body!

Some notable wins:

• During London Fashion Week, an entire show was dedicated to plus-size fashion.
  
• Old Navy gets called out for charging more money on women's plus-sized clothing, a pettition is in place to make changes
  
• Candice Huffine was the first model plus-size model to be featured in the legendary Pirelli calendar
  
• Vogue had a lingerie photo shoot featuring women of 'all shapes and sizes'
  
• Swimsuits for All recreated the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover with plus-sized models
  
• Plus-size model Denise Bidot walked a straight-size runway at New York Fashion Week
  
• Lammily, a realistic 'Barbie' is created with average hip, waist, and bust size
  
• The hastag #fatkini trended on social media with women of all sizes showing themselves off in a confident manner
   
  
  
  
  

One of my favorite things is the Lammily doll and how she had a huge impact on young girls, in tests, a lot reported loving her because she looked more like them. Barbie is just too unrealistic to be a role model. We have to start at a young age by teaching children (boys and girls alike) to love their bodies and treat them well. Teach them to be healthy and happy.

These statistics are from the Nation Eating Disorder website:

"In the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or an eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS)...By age 6, girls especially start to express concerns about their own weight or shape. 40-60% of elementary school girls (ages 6-12) are concerned about their weight or about becoming too fat. This concern endures through life (Smolak, 2011)".

The numbers are staggering, and that doesn't even include non-diagnosed persons. There are millions who suffer and don't receive treatment. This can be prevented with positive body image enforcement. Be positive about yourself and your child will take notice. Go out and play with them, enroll them in sports or other physical activities that appeal to them, and make good food choices.

Try not to use food as a reward. I remember being a kid and if I had a good report card or aced a test, and my parents taking me out for ice cream. I was a good student, so this happened quite often. If you've read any of my earlier posts, I struggled with food and weight growing up. Even though I was active and played sports, my eating choices were bad. Granted I was a picky eater, but my parents who were in control of my food consumption didn't help. They tried, they did feed me full dinners (meat, veggie, starch) and packed my school lunches, and all that. But they also didn't help because they rewarded me with sweets. Even though now, as a young adult I am aware and in control of my food and exercise habits, I firmly believe that if my parents limited my junk food intake it would've made a difference in my weight. Granted, genetics also plays a roll, but we can control our bodies to an extent, IF we start early enough. But remember, it's also never too late to start taking control of our bodies. So don't think because your over 30 you can't change your eating or exercises habits, you can! Start with small changes and incorporate them into your daily routine. You will look and feel better, inside and out.

Fencing Workout

Since I am a former high school/college athlete, and current coach, I have done some research as well as have experience in fitness for fencers.

Fencing is a sport that requires both full body and mental health. You use every muscle from your fingers to your toes, and perhaps most important––your brain!

Stretch: Getting a good stretch all over is important for any sport or physical activity, but when it comes to fencing it also helps to relax the mind. Take around 10-15 minutes to stretch.

Cardio: running/jogging and jump rope are two big favorites among fencers. Both are simple, and require the full body.

Strength: A lot of fencing involves the legs, you need the strength and explosiveness when it comes to footwork. Try doing wall sits, lunges, squats, calf raises, and the leg press.

Even though your legs are bent, your upper body needs to remain upright and still. So a strong back and core is necessary. Any weight training exercises that target the core or back will be essential. To name a few: pull ups, bench press, push ups, crunches, rows, cable pulleys, and planks.

Footwork: Any fencer will tell you how important footwork is. When I was in high school, my coaches had us do a minimum of 1 hour per day of footwork. Most people are so fascinated by the weapons and think that being able to hit with it is all that's necessary. But a fencer can win bouts with footwork alone. Being able to move and control the tempo of the match is physically and mentally demanding. Since most of my classes are an hour to an hour & a half, I usually have the kids do a half hour of footwork. But if on a particular day it's not up to par, the entire class time could be devoted to footwork. And it's not just Advance and Retreat. We do singles of those, doubles, triples; change the speed to be slow or fast; change the lengths to be long or short; add some jump backs, flunges, fleches, lunges, and combos of any/all the above.

Now this doesn't just apply to fencers, anyone looking for an all over body strength or conditioning workout can follow these ideas. You can also read about Olympic Fencer Tim Morehouse's training here. If you want to try fencing, or get more info, go to www.usfencing.org. Or you can just Google it.

Beat Belly Bloat

If there's one part of the body that most people want to change, it's their bellies. Women strive for a flat tummy while men hope to sculpt a six pack. There are so many diet products on the market that claim they will zap belly fat, but nothing beats old fashioned diet and exercise.

Now, you can exercise for hours every day, but coupled with poor nutrition it won't give you what you want. Repeat after me: You can't out-exercise a bad diet! Now when I say diet I don't mean a temporary fix or crash course to weight loss. I mean your dietary intake based on physical needs (and sometimes wants). Our bodies need a balance of carbs, fats, and protein. Based on your height, weight, age, sex, (and medical history) you can determine the amounts of these that your individual body needs. There are plenty of calculators on the internet that can give you an idea, but if you are serious about it, you may want to see a dietitian and/or nutritionist, especially if your case is the need for extreme weight loss (i.e. obesity).

Here's some tips and workouts I follow:

1) Water - drink lots of it! Aim for a gallon per day.

2) Tea - any flavor you like, but don't add milk, sugar, or any other stuff. Drink it pure.

3) Fruit - depending on the type you choose will help curve sweet cravings, provide fiber, and hydrate your body (apples, grapefruit, grapes, pears).

4) Russian Twists - Grab a medicine ball or dumbbell, heaviest you can hold without sacrificing form and bend your legs off the ground, so your body is a V shape. Twist from side to side, do 10-15 reps per set.

5) Leg Lifts - Lay on your back, entire body straight, hands under your butt. Slowly lift your legs up a few inches off the ground hold for 10-15 seconds then lower without touching the floor! Do 5 sets of 10. You can also work your legs a little extra by lifting them up and spreading and bringing back together before lowering.

6) Starfish Abs - Lay on the ground with your arms and legs out, making the shape of a star. Using your core bring your arms and legs together so you curl into a ball, then release back into the star shape. Do 5 sets of 10.

7) Spider Kicks - Get on your hands and knees, keep your back flat, start by lifting your (still bent) right leg out to the side, bring it in tight then straight out back. The leg should be in a sideways position the entire time. Do 10, then switch legs.

8) Ab Frogs - Similar to the Russian twist starting position, make a V shape with your body and have your legs off the ground. Wrap your arms around your legs then release while stretching legs and arms out away from you, then grab again. Do 5 sets of 10.

 **Try to limit your salt/sodium intake, avoid processed foods that are full of gunk our bodies don't want or need, and when possible aim for all natural or organic products**

Arms to Embrace

Ladies, don't think for a second that strong or sculpted arms is manly or only for men! Think of Halle Berry, Michelle Obama, Madonna, or Jennifer Aniston for some armspiration. They've got beautifully toned arms, and you can too. I get some remarks about my own arms being too big, but they're strong, so I don't care what people say about them. I'd rather they be big with muscle than fatty.

Here are just a few of my favorite arm workouts:

Bicep Curls

Tricep Pulldowns

Tricep Dips

Alternating Arm Press

Leaning Lateral Arm Raise

Push Ups

Arm Circles

Pull Ups

Any of these can be modified to do with or without weights. When using weights, use the heaviest you can lift without sacrificing form! Now get working!

All About Those Legs

Everyone knows it's important to work your legs, but some people skip them (*cough*big bulky upper body men*cough*). Why would you ignore something that you rely so much on?? Where would you be without your legs to stand on??

Don't be that guy (or girl). It's also important for your joints (mainly knees) to have strong legs. Take the pressure off your bones and build the muscle around them! While this applies to every part of your body, we rely on our legs to sit, stand, walk, run, etc. So treat them well!









Don't forget to warm up and stretch before any strength training. And be sure to include exercises that work your hips and glutes too, since they are all connected and rely on each other to function at optimal performance.

Now here's a dozen workout ideas to get those legs going:

1) Leg Press

2) Squat

3) Squat variations (Sumo, elevated, jump)

4) Lunges/Reverse Lunges/Side Lunges

5) Leg Curl/Leg Extension

6)  Front/Side Leg Lifts

7) Bottom Leg Lifts

8) Fire Hydrants

9) Donkey Kicks

10) Wall Sits

11) Planks

12) Hip Adduction/Hip Abduction

Now embrace the power of strong, sexy legs! Comment with your favorite leg workout!

Things Female Gym Rats Are Tired of Hearing

1. Do you have to work out that much?

Umm yes, because once or twice a week does nothing to change you (granted it is better than 0, but you can't expect real results either)

2. You can't lift heavy weights, you'll get too bulky!

You need to lift weights to build muscle, more muscle = better ability to burn calories and fat

3. Aren't you afraid you'll look like a man?

No, because muscles = fit, and fit beats skinny every time.

4. If you stop working out, your muscles will turn to fat!

That is not how this works, your body always has muscles, it's just a matter of if you use them/tone them and lose fat surrounding them that makes them visible. 

5. Real women aren't muscly!

WRONG. Real women are fat, skinny, muscular, black, white, purple, tall, short. We come in all shapes and sizes.

6. So is your diet nothing but meat, veggies, and protein shakes?

We eat healthy, but know how to treat ourselves. We are fitness fans, not professional bodybuilders.

7. Can I help you with that?

Nothing irks a female more than when a guy offers to help them at the gym, thinking they don't know what their doing. I mean unless we are clearly trapping ourselves under the weight of a bench press––we got this.

Gym Personalities

We see them, we know them with one look, those people at the gym. Granted almost everyone has a gym membership nowadays, and everybody is different, but there are those few stereotypes you will see if you are a regular gym goer. Not saying that everyone fits into one of these categories, but these are just some of the most common ones I've seen. I'm sure there are more that others can think of, so please share!

Upper Body Guy - Never (or barely) works out his legs, has massive upper body strength and toothpicks for legs. Everything from the waist up looks great. But how is he not toppling over from his own weight??

Social Butterfly - The girls who come to the gym just to hang out, gossip, and try to pick up guys. They tend to walk around, occasionally pick up a weight, but mostly they just chatter on the cardio machines.

The Lunk - The big beefy guy walking around in a muscle shirt, drinking his protein shake, and dropping his giant barbells obnoxiously. He looks like (and probably can) he can lift a truck. Okay, we get it, you want to be the next Hulk.

The Beauty Queen - There's always that one perfect girl. She's got a fit body with perky boobs and a butt and never sweats. Her makeup and hair are always done. She looks ready for a photo shoot, not a workout. Tends to make the sweaty, hard working girls jealous.

The Mayor - The one who is always greeting people, chatting up the gym staff, walking around talking to everyone. They know all the info on the gym, what's working, what's broken, when something new is coming in. They spend more time talking than lifting. Too bad the only muscle they're working is their mouth.

The Pig - The person who is dripping in sweat and for some unknown reason refuses to wipe down a machine they have used. They never re-rack their weights, leaving them wherever they finish. In the locker room they take up an entire bench with all their clothes sprawled out. They have no consideration for others.

The Couch Potato - The person who just zones out in front of the TV on a cardio machine, occasionally will use weight machines, but most often are too busy reading or playing a game or video on their phone/tablet. Just because you're at the gym, doesn't mean you're working out.

The Self Absorbed - Similar to our social butterfly and beauty queen, usually decent looking and constantly checking themselves out. Always stopping in front of a mirror, and infamous for taking selfies rather than their workout (#GymSelfie). Barely breaking a sweat and still looking good when they leave.

This Or That

There are little changes you can make in your diet that can have a positive impact on your health just by making substitutions of certain foods or ingredients in recipes. It's best to start out with a few small changes than to completely overhaul your diet (unless you are under a diet that is overseen by a doctor). If you do a complete 180, you can end up with cravings, crashes, and other things, which will just cause you to get off your diet. Another thing to consider is not using the word 'diet', and instead refer to it as a lifestyle change. Because honestly, you are trying to change your health for the better of your life, not just a crash diet which will fail and ultimately cause more bodily harm than good. So here are some recommendations I have for those looking for a place to start their change.

General choices you can make for a healthier diet:

• Choose whole/multi grain or whole wheat instead of white breads.

• Ditch soda, even diet, it's full of too much sugar and artificial ingredients. Diet soda (along with most 'diet' foods/drinks) contains aspartame which is, essentially poison.

• Choose egg whites over whole eggs, especially if eggs are a daily staple for you. Too much yolk leads to high cholesterol, among other things.

• With meats, if your budget can afford it, choose organic/cage-free/pasture-raised chicken/beef/pork. You will taste the difference.

Take a look at some of these ingredient substitutions you can make:

So remember it's okay to start small, you need to start somewhere. You are also more likely to stick to your healthy lifestyle if you change little by little and get your body accustomed to these things while eliminating poor choices.

Choosing a Protein Powder

Why take a protein supplement? Protein is essential for our bodies, whether you are a gym junkie or not. Protein is needed for the body to function optimally. So regardless of your fitness goals, you need to get your protein. Ideally it should come from food sources, but sometimes that's not enough and you need a supplement. The average man should intake 55 grams per day, while the average woman should intake 45 grams per day. These numbers vary though depending on body weight and activity level.

There are so many protein powders on the market, it's hard to find what's best for you. Process of elimination is one way to go, if you have an endless budget to buy and try them all. But I recommend you should ask yourself a few questions before just buying that big jug.

1) Do you have certain nutrition or dietary needs? Whey, Soy, or Plant based?

2) Is your goal fat loss or muscle building?

3) What time of day are you taking the protein? Immediately after a workout? Or during the day as a quick meal or snack?

4) Are you going to mix it with just water? Or make shakes/smoothies? Or blend it into food/recipes?

Why and how you take your protein is important as to how it will affect your body. You need to determine your individual needs and tastes to find what's best for you.

Quick Breakdown:

Whey - For immediately after a workout

Casein - For a mid-day meal or snack

Soy/Rice/Other Plant Base - For those with lactose intolerance, gluten allergies, or sensitive stomachs (from personal experience, I recommend Garden of Life Raw Meal).

*For weight loss, you'll want a pure 100% protein powder that is low in calories.

*For weight or muscle gains, you'll want one with a higher calorie range. Perhaps an isolate protein that also packs in vitamins and other nutrients.

For more detailed information, check out this article on BodyBuilding.com

Little Ways to Motivate Yourself

We could all use motivation, and it doesn't have to come from others. Sometimes the best motivator is yourself! It's your body and mind that's at work anyway. So here are some ways to boost your ego.

• Buy sticky notes and write yourself notes and leave them all over. I personally keep a few around a mirror in my room. Things like "you are beautiful" "smile" "keep up the good work" and other positive sayings can change your mood/mindset.

• Is there a shirt or outfit you've got your eye on, but doesn't quite fit yet? If you're working on a fitness goal, buy that item and save it for when it does fit as a reward. It will also motivate you just by seeing it hanging in your home to stick to your goals.

• Get a jar. For every visit to the gym, or physical exercise/activity you do, put a dollar in the jar. Set a goal, like $100, and then use that money to treat yourself to something nice. *New shoes are always great*

• Are you a technology fanatic? Then download a fitness app such as My Fitness Pal, Lose It, Weight Watchers, or Nike Training Club. There are tons more, so find the one that suits you best! If you're a visual person, having an app to track your progress will be very beneficial. Also having a pedometer or heart rate monitor is another great way to use technology with your fitness plans. I personally love my Fitbit for daily use, and my Polar heart rate monitor for the gym! Seeing the stats really gets me going.

• Hide the scale! Yes I said it. While seeing the numbers go down feels great, it isn't so great for your psyche. Especially if you become a scale addict and weigh yourself too often. The number can fluctuate so much that in the end, it will only drive you nuts. Also, if your goal is to lose inches, seeing what you weigh in pounds will not benefit you. Instead, buy a body tape measurer and check your measurements every week or every other week. Use a notebook to log your progress.

Workouts You Can Do Anywhere!

No gym required! No excuses! Even a little bit of movement is better than none, so don't use "I work too much" as an excuse. You can do these few exercises even in the office!

Here are 5 exercises you can do anywhere at any time! Do as many reps/sets as you can. Start off slow if you're not a very active person and increase over time.

Step ups:

Find some stairs and with one leg at a time, step up onto the bottom step, after both legs are on it, step down one leg at a time. Do as many as you can in 1 minute intervals.

Chair Squats:

Stuck at a desk all day? Well get up. Now sit back down. Make sure you are pushing your butt out as you lower yourself to the chair. Use the muscles in your quads to take the stress off the knees. Do 3-5 sets of 10 reps.

Calf Raises:

While standing around (perhaps waiting by the water cooler or the copy/fax/printer machine) have your legs together with your feet forward, keep your legs straight and raise up onto your toes and come down without your heels touching the floor. Do as many reps as you can. You can also vary these by doing some sets with your feet pointed outward or inward.

Wall Sits:

Get your back against the wall and lower yourself so your legs are at a 90 degree angle. Keep your back up straight and tighten your core while using the strength in your legs to hold yourself up. Try to hold for 30-60 seconds. Do 3 sets.

Push Ups:

Probably best to do this on your lunch break and not just randomly in the office, but whatever floats your boat! Push ups are a great move (if done properly! I'm talking to you people with your butts in the air!) to work some of the largest muscles in your body. Push ups work not only your arms, but your back and core! Do 3 sets them in reps of 5-10 depending on your activity level.