What does healthy mean?

To many of you, this may not mean much.  But these numbers have helped me redefine my own meaning to the question, "what does healthy mean?"

Flashback to July 2012: I was 28 years old and weighed the most I ever had in my entire life, 270 lbs. Aside from the weight, my blood pressure was 140/90.  My fasting blood glucose level was 120.  The number above represents nearly 4 years of hard work including exercise, a complete overhaul of my eating habits, and most importantly, a mental shift in the way I think about health and fitness.

I, like most people, always determined how healthy I was based on two numbers: my weight on the scale and my BMI.  I'm not saying you shouldn't pay attention to those numbers, but I want to challenge you to add a few more into your health profile.

Do you know...

• your resting heart rate?
• your fasting blood glucose level?
• your blood pressure?
• your body fat percentage?
• your heart rate recovery time?

If you answered 'no' to any or all of the above questions, I challenge you to seek out your health care provider and a certified personal trainer to help assess what your numbers are.  Getting a total picture of your overall health includes all your numbers.  

When you are armed with information and knowledge, you can start to form a plan as to how you want to improve your health. Your number one goal shouldn't always be to lose weight.  Fat loss is a bonus by-product of living healthier.  When you know your numbers, you can begin to define, "what does healthy mean" for yourself.

Yours in health,

Coach Steph

So what's the big deal with HIIT?

Whether you're new to fitness or not, you've probably heard the word HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) thrown around a lot lately.

So what's the big deal with HIIT?

As a personal trainer, I use it to effectively and efficiently help clients shed body fat, build lean muscle and increase cardiovascular and muscle endurance.  My clients love it because it cuts down on the amount of time they have to work in the gym.

So, what is HIIT?

HIIT is essentially short bursts of intense exercise followed by periods of short or active rest that help clients burn fat and build lean muscle in less time than traditional strength or cardio programs.   When performed effectively, it creates an afterburn effect that can help burn fat for up to 24 hours post-workout. The key is EFFECTIVELY.  You must do the exercise with as much intensity as possible to have the best outcomes.

Three reasons why I love HIIT:

1.  Revs your metabolism - EPOC (exercise oxygen consumption) which can help your body burn fat when you're done exercising for a 24-48 hour metabolism boost

2. Fast and efficient - my fitness center is in the middle of a busy office park.  My biggest group personal training class is my 30-minute Express Group Circuit class because I leverage HIIT to give people the best workout in the shortest amount of time.  My clients leave sweaty, exhausted and get results.

3.  No equipment needed - HIIT can be done with or without weights or bands.  Your bodyweight is all you need for push-ups, squats, lunges, high knees, jumping jacks, sprints and a variety of other exercises that can be repeated for efficiency and time.

Ready to try HIIT?  Here's a beginner workout:

Need more advanced workouts or just don't know where to start?  I offer private coaching.  Please reach out to me here or through social media.  I'd love to connect!

Yours in health,

Coach Steph

Where do I start?

Congratulations! You've decided to start a fitness/eating/healthier living program.  But you're probably asking yourself, "Where do I start?"

"Where do I start" is the number one question I get as a personal trainer and coach.  Here's a few tips to get you started.

1. What are your goals?
Why are you doing this?  What do you hope to accomplish?  Having a clear vision of your goals is important.

2. What will happen when you reach your goal?
You have a clear goal - great!  What will happen when you get there?  The number one reason people gain weight back after reaching a goal is because they didn't think about the 'after.' What would happen when you met the goal?  Remember, this is the rest of your life.  Don't be shortsighted.

3.  Start small.
Small, consistent habit changes that you can adhere to are the keys to longterm success.  Focus on one habit at a time.  If you don't eat breakfast, work on eating breakfast everyday until that becomes normal for you.  Some habits will take less time to achieve than other.

4.  Celebrate the small victories.
You passed on seconds at dinner because you were satisfied and didn't need anymore food.  Pat yourself on the back!
You did 10 push-ups in a row. Last week you could only do 8.  Celebrate!
You packed your lunch every day for work and felt good about it.  Great job!
Whatever it is that makes you proud for continuing on this journey, celebrate it.  Remember, consistently doing the right things add up to big results.

5.  Create a support network.
Tell people you love and trust what you are doing.  Tell them you need their support when you want to quit.  Tell them to remind you of your goals.  Having the right support will make all the difference.

6.  Keep the negative nellies at an arm's length.
Change is hard.  Sometimes it's even harder for the people in our lives than it is for us. When you decide to make a change in your lifestyle, some people in your life may become negative or downright mean.  Your desire to change is highlighting their decision not to.  That's ok.  Just protect yourself.  Your support network will help you.

7.  Create a mindset of success.
You can do this.  You are worth it.  You are enough. You're doing this for you.  Repeat these things every day in the mirror.  Say them until you believe them.

8.  Get professional help.
There are a lot of trainers and health professionals who are in the business of helping people get healthier.  Do your research.   Ask for referrals.  Interview them.  They are a part of your team and you need to be comfortable opening up and being honest with them so they can help you.  All trainers, nutritionists, dietitians, physicians and health coaches are not created equal.  A true professional will have no problem complying with your need to gather information before you make a decision.

9.  Make a decision.
Your gut is usually right.  If your gut tells you that your trainer, coach, nutritionist, etc is a good fit for you, then go with that.  Do your research, but trust your intuition.

10.  Love yourself.
Self worth and self esteem start at the core with loving who you are, right now, whatever you look or feel like.  If you think losing weight or getting more fit will make someone else like you or love you more, you're wrong.  Loving you, flaws (we all have them) and all is the key to happiness.  When you love you, everything else falls into place.  Love yourself enough to take care of your temple.  It's the only place you have to live.

Reach out if you need more help.

xoxo,
Coach Steph

Comparison is the Thief of Joy

Teddy Roosevelt was a pretty smart guy.  "Comparison is the thief of joy." I feel like this applies to so many areas of our lives.  Specifically, I'm going to speak to fitness and weight loss.

I coached a personal training client yesterday on this topic.  She was finishing her post-workout cardio and cooling down on the treadmill when she asked me, "so how much progress should I be seeing right now?"

This is such a loaded question and I HATE IT!

Do you know why I hate it?  Because no two people are the same.  Because no two bodies metabolize food the same way.  Because no two bodies respond to exercise and weights the same way.  Get the idea?

Comparison is dangerous.  It can take you down a scary path where you start to look at your life and someone else's and decide that their life is better or easier.

When you compare your fitness progress to someone else's, you can take yourself out of the game or delay your success.

I know it's tough not to compare; when you see those amazing 'before and after' ads for weight loss. My company even has a weight loss challenge and we use testimonials to show people what's possible.  That's the key, though.  Be inspired by other people's success.  Don't compare.

Honestly, shows like 'The Biggest Loser' or 'Extreme Weight Loss' don't help either.  Those people are in completely controlled environments with expert help 24/7.  That's just not reality.  Most of those people go home and gain the weight back because they didn't gradually learn how to adopt a new lifestyle.

How can you overcome the desire to compare?  Track your progress! Not just your weight and measurements.

• Take photos - Progress photos, wearing the same clothes, in the same pose at the same time every week.  Put the photos side-by-side.  You'll start to see changes.
• Celebrate the NSVs - Non-scale victories.  How do your clothes fit?  Can you do something you couldn't do when you first started?  Has your health improved? I always recommend clients do a physical inventory when they first start.  What hurts?  What is physically hard to do? What are you unable to do because of your physical condition?  Revisit that list every 4-6 weeks and track your progress that way.
• Track your vital signs - Record your resting heart rate and blood pressure when you first start.  Check them every 4 weeks.  When they improve, that means you are getting healthier.  Yay for you!

These are just a few ways to show yourself that your exercise and healthy eating plan are working.  Be kind to yourself.  Change takes time.  How long had you been eating unhealthy food?  How long did it take you to gain the weight?  It's going to take a while for your body to reset and return to its home state, its homeostasis.  Do you know what homeostasis means?  When internal conditions remain relatively stable and constant. That's balance. When your body is balanced, you will be able to lose or maintain your weight.  

Need some help?  More accountability?  Someone to just listen? I'm here.  Reach out.  I'd love to chat.

Check out YouTube for my video summary on this topic.

xoxo,

Coach Steph

Smoothie for breakfast? Make it filling!

One of the first questions I get asked as a trainer from new clients is, "what do I eat?" My answer (insert sarcasm), "FOOD!" Just kidding.  Kind of.  

Remember that food is fuel for your body and activity.  It sustains you and gives you energy to do all the activities life has to offer.  Don't make food the enemy or let it become and obsession.  

Think about it this way.  Your car requires gasoline to go.  How far can you get with the wrong grade of gas or with none at all?  You can't. 

Your body is an amazing machine that requires proper nutrition to function at its peak performance.  The best advice I can give you is that when you eat food in its most whole form, i.e. the way it came into the world/least processed, the better nutrition it will provide to your body.  

Getting started on a path to better eating is not easy.  I always recommend to not try to make drastic changes all at once.  If your goal is to start eating breakfast, do that for 21 days and it will become a habit.  If you go too long between meals, set a timer to remind you to eat a serving of almonds or have a cup of yogurt (preferably plain greek yogurt with your own fruit).  It is about the habits that we create that will help us transform our eating longterm (lifestyle change). 

As always, if you need individual help or coaching to make these changes, please reach out to me here through my blog or Facebook.  

My favorite smoothie recipe:
Blend the following ingredients until smooth. I like to freeze the blueberries because they act as the "ice."

8 oz coconut water
1 tbsp organic, unrefined coconut oil
1 tbsp flax seeds
1/2 c strawberries
1/2 c blueberries
1 c kale

This recipe will give you a meal replacement (meals should ideally be between 300-400 calories, depending on your individual caloric needs).

The Power of Sleep

A new study by the University of Colorado raises awareness about the role of sleep in health. NPR reported that people who slept for only 5 hours a night ate more than when they slept for 9 hours, and The New York Times announced that “losing just a few hours of sleep a few nights in a row can lead to almost immediate weight gain.”

My top tips for getting better and more sleep:

1. Make your bedroom your sanctuary. Only use your bed for sleeping or reading a REAL book, not an electronic book. Your body needs to know that when it lays in bed it's going to sleep or...we won't go there LOL!

2. Turn off all electronic devices one hour before bed. TVs, tablets, e-readers, cell phones, etc all emit a blue light that keeps the brain awake. Do you really need to check your email or Facebook again?

3. Create a bedtime routine. Just like when you were a kid, create a routine that prepares your body for rest. Mine looks like this: I drop the thermostat one hour before bed. Then, I take a bath with lavender oil and warm but not super hot water. Then I do all my personal hygiene care before I let all the steam out of the bathroom. Last, I only use a soft light in the room while reading a quick chapter of a calming book (no murder mysteries or thrillers). I start this all about 9 p.m. and by 10 I'm out like a light. I get up at 5-6 a.m. every day so my sleep schedule is very important in order for me to be productive each day.

4. If you want to start going to bed earlier, go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until you reach the time you want to sleep.

I know we're all busy, but sleep is when your body heals itself and prepares for the next day. You'll be able to be so much more productive if you're well rested. Here's a great article from webmd.com as well. Happy sleeping!

Yours in Health,

Coach Steph

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Are You Eating Enough?

When sitting with a new client for a nutrition consultation, I always ask them to keep a 3-day food journal of what they eat and drink for three consecutive days.  One of the things most of my clients who are struggling with weight loss have in common is that they DO NOT EAT ENOUGH.

Yes, you read that right.  You have to eat to lose weight.

Your body requires fuel.  It is a magnificent machine.  But, you have to feed it right to get the results you want.

I did a phone consultation with a weight loss client today.  She told me she had hit a plateau and was no longer losing.  I asked her what an average day looked like.  She gave me this food journal entry:

Breakfast - granola bar, 140-150 calories, 32 oz of water
Lunch - Salad with greens and grilled or baked meat, 400 calories
Dinner - anything I can get my hands on.  I'm starving.

Anyone see the problem here?  My client isn't eating enough. By the time dinner rolls around, her blood sugar is so low and her body is starving, so she eats the most satisfying, quick food she can get - simple carbohydrates.

Most women are afraid to eat.  Afraid that 300-400 calories at a meal will make them fat.  WRONG.  What's making you fat is you're starving your body. Be good to it, feed it, and you will start to see the scale move.

Food journaling is a very effective tool for weight loss.  Simply writing down in a notebook what you eat each day will help you see trends in your habits.  There are also apps for smartphones and websites that help you keep track.  Whatever helps you keep yourself accountable, do it.  Don't go crazy obsessing over calories, but keeping track of what you eat will make you aware of how much you're actually consuming.

Mayo Clinic has a calorie estimator on their website.  Your daily caloric needs depend on your height, weight, sex, age and daily activity level.  As long as you eat close to your calories needed per day and moderately exercise, the scale should move.

Keep these tips in mind too:

1. Never go more than three hours without eating. When you eat a snack in between your meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner), it helps your stabilize your blood sugar and will help you avoid binges that happen when you wait until you are starving to eat.

 

2. Use fruit as fuel for exercise. Best time to eat fruit: first thing in the morning with protein or 30 minutes before a workout for fuel. Fruit is very good for you and full of nutrients, but it is a sugar and when not paired with a protein, it can spike your blood sugar and leave you unsatisfied and hungry an hour later.

 

3. Explore new vegetables. One of the main complaints people have when starting to eat better is boredom with food. There are so many vegetables and countless ways to cook them.

So be adventurous, visit your local farmer's market and try something new!

 

4. Stick to proteins and veggies at all of your meals. Vegetables are a great source of carbohydrates and are very nutritious. Simple carbohydrates (potatoes, white bread, white rice, pasta, sugar, corn), when not used as a fuel, turn to fat in the body when not used as fuel. Your best bet is to eat simple carbs sparingly.

 

Along with a healthy diet, all-natural, healthy supplements can accelerate your weight loss.  I have a lot of clients who take Nutri-Thin, Nutri-Cleanse and Sea Veg as a part of their weight loss plan.  Check them out for yourself.  

 

I'd love to help you reach your goals.  Follow me on Twitter, Like me on Facebook, or shoot me an email. 

Yours in health,

Stephanie

 

Why participate in a weight loss challenge?

I want to preface this post by saying this: you are amazing.  you are beautiful. you are enough.  

That being said, I know that sometimes the amazing person that we are on the inside doesn't always show through on the outside.  I personally know how that feels.  I am the same person I was two years ago: AWESOME, smart, funny, kind compassionate, caring; I could go on and on because I know now what it is to love myself.  However, the person I am today was buried under self-hate, depression and unhappiness.  I couldn't let the light shine out because I felt broken on the inside.

The answer to my troubles was not to lose weight.  

I know you're probably thinking, "Wait, did she just say that?  I thought this was going to be a post about losing weight?"  It is, let me get there.

The answer to fixing whatever is broken is not going to be found by weight loss alone.  It starts with loving yourself.  

I believe the reason that I have been so successful for the first time in my life in finding balance between work, relationships, fitness and nutrition is because I finally took the time to assess why I was unhappy.  For me, it started at the core with my faith.  That's not the case for everyone, but it was for me.  

From there, I started making lists of the qualities about myself that I loved, and those I didn't like so much. I asked for help from people in my life who supported me: parents, close friends and my husband. I know it sounds cheesy, but make a list about what you love about yourself without referring to a body part.  Make a list of what you'd like to improve, and don't put a body part.  If you ever want to be successful at finally losing and maintaining weight, you have to start by loving yourself.

I'm still on my journey, but in the process of "just wanting to lose weight," I found out how miserable I was in my job and was diagnosed (finally) with a legitimate medical condition and used that as a springboard to better health. I also realized I am perfect the way God made me and that any improvement physically would not make me any more beautiful in His eyes.  I just had to see and believe that, too.

So, the weight loss part...

I consider myself a coach. I train clients physically to be their best. But I also realize that with outward changes, a lot happens on the inside and between our ears.  Our minds are powerful.

I have a lot of success stories.  I'll be posting some in the coming weeks.  You'll meet some of my clients who I've helped.  You'll see their before and after photos.  The biggest thing all my clients have in common are these:

1. They were ready mentally to make a LIFESTYLE change
2. They embraced my plan and were honest and vulnerable
3. They stopped the self-hate

Those are pretty much my requirements.  Check the negativity at the door and be ready to improve yourself.  I don't work with clients who crash-diet.  Yes, we set goals, but we're in this for the long haul.  And goals come in all shapes and sizes, not just numbers on a scale.

That being said, when you work with me on a 90-day challenge you get one-on-one coaching, personal training and exercise tips and plans, email, phone and social media support, nutritional counseling and someone who 100% is committed to helping you reach your goals.

If you've tried every diet, workout plan, etc, and you're ready to change your life for good, then look no further.  You are here.  And I offer all this for the very low price of $40/month for 3 months (or longer if you decide to stick with me).  

Want to learn more?  Message me on Facebook, send me a DM on Twitter, Email me or leave a post below and we'll get connected.  

Thank you for reading.  I love hearing from you.

Yours in health,
Stephanie

Cardio before weights? Or vice versa? The chicken vs. egg debate of fitness

Just last week I was working with a new member of my gym, Positively Fit, going over her new exercise program.  She was really excited to get started and begin her weight loss journey.  Following her workout, we recapped her plan for the next two weeks. 

She then asked me, "why am I lifting weights before walking on the treadmill?" Before I could even respond, she then asked, "if getting into my fat-burning zone on the treadmill is important, why am I lifting weights?"

Before I got frustrated with her since we had just spent 45 minutes together during her gym orientation, I told myself two things: 1) I have thrown so much information at this woman over the last 3 workouts that I can't possibly expect her to remember it all in one week.  2) I broke my cardinal rule about training clients - I forgot to mention the purpose of my methods.

Just like how I felt as a child when my mom used to say, "because I said so," my clients feel the same way when I don't explain the reasoning behind the plan. It's so much easier for most people to embrace a new way of thinking and a LIFESTYLE change if they know why it works.  So, I'm going to address her to questions here.

"Why am I lifting weights before walking on the treadmill?"
The reasoning behind this is two-fold. 

1. You need fuel to lift weights.  Your body is an incredible machine that can do phenomenal things when fueled properly.  Weight/strength training requires fuel.  Eating carbohydrates 30 minutes before a strength workout will give you energy.  Eat enough to sustain your activity.  This looks different for everyone. I recommend fruit like apples or oranges 30 minutes prior to a workout.  Depending on the intensity of your workout (time, exertion), you may need more to eat.

2. You don't enter your fat burning zone until about 30 minutes into your workout. Now don't get discouraged when you read this.  Any movement you do during the day is good for you.  It's good for your heart, your mind and stress management.  You burn calories anytime you move.   However, if your goal is to burn fat, you need to get into your fat burning zone.

So, if your weight routine takes you about 30 minutes, you've essentially burned off all the carbohydrates and sugar your body was storing for energy. Now, you're ready to enter your fat burning zone.  Once here, the entire time you are at your target heart rate, you are burning the most fat.  Essentially, the calories you are burning on the treadmill are coming from fat cells.  We'll talk about your THR in another post.   

"If getting into my fat burning zone is important, why am I lifting weights?"

 For many years, people have been sold a bill of goods by pseudo-fitness experts about the pitfalls of strength training (mostly women).  We've all heard the myths:

"lifting weights will make me bulky"
"low weight, high reps"
"you only need to do cardio 3-4 times a week"

As a fitness professional and someone who has not only changed my own body, but those of countless clients, I'm here to tell you to PICK UP THE WEIGHT!

I'll even give you 8 reasons why lifting weights is good for you:

1. Building muscle is the only way to permanently increase your metabolism.  Muscle is an active tissue; the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

2. You burn more calories. Your body will be burning calories for up toe 24 hours post-workout.  There's a great article about that here.  

3. Women do not get bulky from lifting weights. When you lose fat and gain lean muscle, you appear thinner.  Any perceived "bulk" comes from fat on top of the muscle.  The more fat you lose, the more lean and fit you look.

4. Building muscle increases athletic performance.  I love to run and am always telling those in my group that adding strength training to their running programs will make them better runners.  Running great Hal Higdon promotes strength training in all his programs.

5. As we age, muscles deteriorate. Building more lean muscle will help slow the loss.

6. Muscle requires more calories, so you can get away with eating more.  Just make sure to choose healthy, nutritious foods.

7. Building muscle prevents and fights osteoporosis.

8. Muscle helps burn more fat.

I hope this helps you on your quest for fitness and weight loss.  If you'd like private coaching or additional information, please visit me on Facebook, Twitter or my nutrition website.

Yours in health, 
Stephanie