7 Habits of Successful People

Posted in Motivation on 12/06/2010 11:52 am by admin

Habit #1: They Don’t Buy Junk

Fit people know that if they keep junk food in the house it will land on their waist sooner or later. So they don’t buy any. Even buying junk food for your kids or spouse is not advised since 1) you’ll likely eat some of it eventually, and 2) your loved ones shouldn’t be eating that junk either. It’s called junk for a reason.

Rid your home of chips, cookies, candy, baked goods, pre-packaged snacks and anything else that belongs in a vending machine. Replace the above with fresh fruit, veggies, nuts and other healthy whole foods snacks.

Habit #2: They Have Priorities

Fit people make exercise a priority. Along with keeping a job, paying the bills and going to the doctor, exercise is an important part of their lives. What I’ve found is that fit people put exercise before leisure time. Sure, fit people enjoy leisure, but it is scheduled around their workout time.

Treat exercise time with the same importance that you would a business meeting or trip to the dentist.

Habit #3: They Stop When Full

Fit people stop eating when they feel full. Sound simple? It is, but how many times have you stuffed yourself simply to clear your plate? Or how many times have you eaten another piece of cake despite being stuffed?

The next time you feel full, take it as a sign to stop eating. Yes, even if your plate isn’t empty.

Habit #4: They Push Themselves

Not only do fit people make time to go to the gym, they challenge themselves during each workout. While it is easy to simply go through the motions while exercising, you’re cheating your body out of great results when you don’t push yourself. Exercise should make you sweat, make your muscles burn, and leave you with a feeling of accomplishment.

Find ways to make each workout more challenging. For competitive people, the best way to push yourself is to exercise with a friend of similar strength. Another great way to challenge yourself is to set small attainable goals. These goals could be to push heavier weight, to sprint

Habit #5: They Don’t Eat and Watch

Fit people know that eating in front of the T.V. is mindless eating. When your attention is on your entertainment and not on your food, then you’ll be less tuned in to what and how much ends up in your mouth. Eating in front of the T.V. is also very habit forming. Ever notice how you crave munchies just as a reflex of sitting in front of the T.V.?

Eat before or after your entertainment and pay attention to what and how much goes into your mouth.

Habit #6: They Drink Water

Fit people drink lots of water. And not just in addition to other beverages, but instead of them. Water is their main drink, while other drinks are occasional treats. Calorie-filled drinks are one of the quickest ways to consume excess calories which quickly turn into fat. Consider water your beverage of choice. Drink plenty of it each day and drink other beverages only a few times each week.

Habit #7: They Are Supported

Fit people don’t leave their motivation to chance. They know that if their personal trainer, boot camp instructor or workout partner is waiting for them, then they are less likely to skip a workout. It is so easy to hit snooze or to talk yourself out of the gym as soon as your behind hits the couch after work. Fit people take the option of skipping out of the equation.

Want instant support? Call or email me today to get started on your own customized fitness plan.

I hope that these habits have inspired you to make a change for the fitter in your own life.

If you already do some of these habits then congratulations – you are on your way to a better body. Make an effort to incorporate the rest of the habits to take your results to the next level.

If none, or very few, of these habits describe your lifestyle, then I’ve got good news – you now have 7 effective new habits to start that will get you some awesome results. Don’t try to tackle all 7 at once – pick one or two to add each week and gradually work up to all 7.

As always, you are welcome to call or email me with questions or to get started on your own customized fitness plan. I look forward to hearing from you.

Shelley Healy
Certified Personal Trainer

 

5 Ways to Keep the Scale Moving

Posted in Motivation on 11/14/2010 08:52 pm by admin

As I promised in my last newsletter I am going to address how to keep moving in the right direction. Nothing is as frustrating during an exercise program as when your results stop progressing.  When your body hits a plateau it’s because it is trying to regulate itself. The more you do something to bring about change, the more your body adaptss and tries to limit the changes.  Depending on your fitness level this can happen in as little as 2 weeks or as long as 12 weeks.

To get the most out of your fitness routine you need to break from your habits every now and then.  Even though plateaus are a natural part of the process, it does not mean that you have to give in to them.

Here are 5 ways to keep you moving out of a plateau:

1)  Back off.  I don’t mean that you shouldn’t exercise, I just mean that maybe you need to ease up a bit. If the workout routine that you performed last week was easy, and today it leaves you feeling exhausted, that is a sign that you may need more rest.  When your energy level returns, get right back into your program, or maybe even a little bit harder than before.

2) Turn it up. This is the opposite of backing off. Maybe you have hit a plateau because you are bored with your program.  Add intensity to your workouts by increasing the weights or reps or both. If you feel great after 1 or 2 workouts, then this is the solution for you.

3) Tweak your diet.  All our diets could use some improvement. Try for 1 week a super strict diet, where you eat clean, simple meals and see if that moves the scale.

4) Do it in the morning. Get up and get moving; 20-30 minutes of cardio performed on an empty stomach can get your metabolism in high gear.

5) Add or subtract 500 calories a day. You heard it right, you may need to add 500 calories to your diet to get the results you are looking for. If you have been starving yourself on a super low calorie diet, then adding calories will rev up your metabolism and get you losing weight.  However, if you have been diet sabatoging with to many reward foods, then you will need to subtract 500 calories to get the scale to budge.

It is all a matter of finding what works best for you, listen to your body, keep moving and stay healthy.

Keep it up,

Shelley Healy

 

Workout – Stuck in a Rut?

Posted in Fitness Tips, Motivation on 10/02/2010 03:51 pm by admin

Fall is officially here  but the weather is beautiful. In case you haven’t noticed the trees are full of vibrant color, yellows, greens and red. Since this was the year of no summer in Calgary, I  strongly suggest now is a good time to get outdoors for your workout. Working  as a personal trainer  in Calgary, I am always reminding my clients of  how taking your workout outside is going to challenge you in whole new ways.

Our bodies quickly become accustomed to doing the same old thing. If you always do the treadmill or elliptical chances are you are not getting the same bang for your buck as you were in the beginning. It is easy to do your workout outdoors, all you need is a pair of running shoes, a water bottle and a watch with a second hand.

Start off with a moderate walk for about 5 minutes. Then increase your pace each minute for the next 3 minutes, and then try a jog or sprint for about 30 seconds. The key is not to stop after your sprint, keep moving. Walk for about 1-2 minutes until you have regained your breath, then repeat the sequence again for another 5 rounds. Try to find a route that includes some hills for a challenge to your cardiovascular system. There are some  fabulous pathways to walk and bike on around Calgary, we are fortunate to have this advantage. For me Nose Hill is just out my back door and provides a great hill climb, with a panoramic view of Calgary.

The eneven pathway, the hills and even if their is a wind blowing will all combine to ramp up your workout. Remember you are trying to push yourself beyond what you have already mastered, that is where the real success comes from. If you stay in your comfort zone, then your results will slow and you will wonder why the exercise is no longer working.

Don’t tell yourself ‘I should’, change it to ‘I must’. Don’t go through the motions, put in 100% effort every time, and you will prove to yourself that you are a winner.

Stay focused, but why not take some time today to enjoy the beautiful outdoors? The season is short so get out there and enjoy it.

Shelley Healy

 

Breakfast Recipes

Posted in Recipes on 09/22/2010 05:17 pm by admin
Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

You’ve probably heard of quinoa – it is hailed by some as the new super food. It’s high in protein (12%-18%) and contains a balanced set of essential amino acids – this means it’s a surprisingly complete protein. It’s also high in fiber and iron. And, as if the edible seeds didn’t have enough going for them, NASA is thinking about growing it in space.

Quinoa is quite possibly the perfect thing to have for breakfast, especially in Calgary when the weather starts to turn chilly there is nothing like a hot, satisfying  start to get  your day off on the right foot.
Servings: 1

Here’s what you need:

  • 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in water according to instructions on package
  • 1 Tablespoon golden raisins
  • 1 Tablespoon date pieces, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon pecan pieces, chopped
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • Dash of nutmeg
  • Drizzle of pure maple syrup

1. Top cooked quinoa with raisins, date pieces, pecan pieces, cinnamon, nutmeg and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 344 calories, 5g fat, 59g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 12g protein.

 

Metabolism Myths

Posted in Fitness Tips, Heathy Eating on 09/22/2010 01:25 pm by admin

This weeks topic is all about common myths many of us believe about dieting.Their is so much information out there that we don’t know what to believe anymore. Here are the top 3 common myths about weight loss.

1. Myth: In order to lose weight, I must eat less.

Fact: Eating less than our bodies daily requirment, actually helps us to gain weight. If we skip meals our body starts to slow down its metabolism and go into survival mode. Then when we do eat, our body greedily stores everything as fuel because it does not know when the next meal will come. Prolonged eating like this teaches our body to be a fat storing rather than a fat burning machine. Eating small regular meals throughout the day is the best way to go.

2. Myth: A calorie is a calorie

Fact: There is huge difference in how our bodies burn different types of calories. For example, fat takes only about 3% of our digestion to process, whereas protein and carbohydrates take about 10-20% of our digestion to burn.Therefore, if you eat a meal high in fat about 3% of it will be burned for fuel and the other 97% will nicely slid right into your existing fat cells. If you don’t burn off the excess.

3. Myth: I don’t need extra protein to lose weight

Fact: Anyone who excercises needs more protein to lose weight. Muscle tissue demands protein to build. If you are working out on a strength training program you need that extra protein to rebuild and repair your muscles. Otherwise you will never build enough muscle to be able to burn fat. The results of your tissues not repairing themselves is fatigue, and burnout. Remember, after you workout is the time to feed your muscles. Try to consume some high quality protein and a complex carbohydrate within 1 hour after working out to replenish yourself.

Try this 3 simple tips and you may be surprised at the results you see.

Shelley

 

What I Know for Now

Posted in Motivation on 08/17/2010 08:32 pm by admin

As I was thinking about this weeks topic, i came across  ‘O’ magazine. for those of you that don’t know that is Oprah’s monthly magazine. In her magazine she has a column entitled “What I Know for Sure”.  I once read that perhaps a better title would be ‘What I Know for Now’. I like that and wondered how it could relate to diet and exercise.

So here goes: ‘What I Know for Now’ (as it relates to all things fitness).

1. You have to keep moving forward. As long as  you are consistent with your workouts, the results will follow. Every workout does not have to be an all out 100% effort. Even on the days  that the weather, (especially in Calgary) and the universe seem to conspire against you,  or you are just plain tired just keep at it, and you are a success.

2. Life is ever changing. Each day brings us new challenges, we can either refuse to acknowledge them or embrace them and see what lessons we can learn from them.

3. Our diets will never be perfect. Stop beating yourself up about a bad choice every now and then. Remember the 80/20 rule. 80% of your diet should be based around clean and healthy eating. The other 20% is about letting go and enjoying life.

4. The scale is not the end all of our existence. Exercise brings about more benefits than just numbers on the scale. Many of the changes are happening inside our bodies that we can’t see. We have lower resting heart rate, better body composition, and more self confidence. No scale can ever tell us all that.

So what I know for now, is that each day that we keep on giving our best and keep moving forward is a success.  Fitness and health are life long goals, that help us to achieve the best that we can be. It is not  so much a destination as a journey. Enjoy your journey.

Till next time,

Shelley Healy

 

How to Boost Your Metabolism

Posted in Fitness Tips, Heathy Eating on 07/14/2010 08:01 pm by admin

For many who are trying to lose weight, or even just maintain their  present weight we are interested in how to boost our metabolim. That is the rate at which our bodies burn calories. Faster metabolic rate = more calories burned = weight loss.  So how can we keep our bodies a calorie burning machine? As a Calgary personal trainer, here are a few bits of advice I want to pass along.

I don’t advocate fat burning supplements or resorting to unhealthy gimmicks, but there are a few tips of what you should and should not do that can imapct your metabolism.

Metabolism DO’s

1.  Don’t reduce calorie intake to low. Commonly known as starving yourself. When you drastically reduce calories this messes up your bodies chemistry and it actually begins to slow down your metabolism in order to keep you alive.

2. Don’t skip meals.  If you are like me, life can get pretty busy, as a trainer working in  a city like Calgary, it can be easy to miss a meal.  However, studies have shown that up to 10% of our daily calories are actually burned through thermogenesis. That is the process of converting calories to energy. That means that regular eating, such as 4-5 small meals a day actually keeps your body burning calories all day long without any drop in your blood sugar levels, so you have more energy for longer and have the capacity to burn stored fat.

3.  Don’t forgo sleep. Research has shown that sleep is essential for your body to repair itself. Sleep actually triggers an increase in the hormone called ‘leptin’ which is our hunger curbing hormone. Just 1 hour of sleep less a day can drastically effect your weight loss efforts.

So now you know what NOT to do, stay tuned for my next newsletter when I will reveal tips on how to BOOST your metabolism.

Stay motivated,

Shelley

 

4 Stages of Exercise

Posted in Fitness Tips on 07/06/2010 11:29 am by admin

I was reading the other day about fitness related ideas and came across on the MSN website reasons why some of us experience workout burnout. You know what I mean, you know you should exercise, but just can’t seem to get it together and get back on track.  I want to share these with you, so you can overcome the setbacks and stay on track with your progress.

1. First stage is the ‘Honeymoon’ phase of exercise. You start off with a bang and  resolve to exercise everyday and lose 20 pounds in a month. Before long you realize perhaps you set the bar to high. Start off slowly, with doing the lowest amount of reps and sets and using light weights. It is better to under workout in the beginning that start with a bang and slow down due to extreme soreness.

2. Second stage is ‘Disenchantment.‘ After the first few weeks if your progress is slow and you are not seing the results you want, you start to back off. This is where having clearly defined goals is going to get you through. Perhaps a short term goal in the beginning would be to increase the amount of time you spend exercising, rather than focusing on pounds lost. Set small improvements and you won’t be disappointed.

3. Third stage is ‘Stalling”. You will use almost any excuse not to workout. The weather, stress, your family, or you convince yourself you just don’t have the time. Perhaps you need to try something new, if you always do cardio indoors, take it outdoors and go for a walk.

4.Fourth stage is ‘Frustration”. Exercise starts to slip from your list of priorities. Make a schedule and stick to it. Don’t let anything interfere, view it just like any other appointment, doctor or dentist that you wouldn’t cancel. Stick with it for 5 weeks, and you will have developed a new habit.

 

The Skinny on Fat

Posted in Fitness Tips, Heathy Eating on 07/06/2010 11:26 am by admin

Are you getting enough fat? What? You are wondering why would I ask a question like that, I mean isn’t virtually everyone trying to cut back on fat?

I am talking about the good fat that your body requires for optimal health, and to lose weight.  Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid that is absent from most diets.  Omega 3 fats helps our bodies to fight against inflammation and can help to lower cholesterol.

Good sources of omega 3′s can be found in flax, flax seed oil, almonds, walnuts and cold water fish. This good fat has been shown to raise our ‘good’ or HDL cholesterol and lower the ‘bad’ or LDL cholesterol.  You can see that these foods are not the most popular today, and therefore the typical diet will not contain enough good fats to help our bodies.  These fats are very sensitive to heat, light, and processing. Therefore, the more natural these fats are, the better.  Try adding a tablespoon of flax oil to your morning smoothie or stir it into some yogurt, you will barely notice it at all.

So while it is critical that we eat a  low-fat diet, don’t carry this fear of fat to far.  Instead, begin by replacing the bad trans fat and saturated fat. replacing them with  the good fats. Eating healthy fat will not make you fat, eating the wrong food and the wrong amounts is what makes us fat.   By adding good fats to your diet your body will reward you with improved health and overall  performance.

Yours in health,

Shelley Healy

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Nutrition Labels

Posted in Heathy Eating on 02/27/2010 12:34 pm by admin

Do you really know what you are eating?

Now this may sound like a strange question, since most of us are conscious of the types and amount of food we eat. We know not to eat most white refined foods, like white bread, white pasta, white crackers and so on. We try to eat some fruit and veggies daily. But what about when we open a package of food? Whether it be a can of soup, or dressing for our salad, did you stop and read the nutrition label BEFORE buying it?

Reading the label requires a little detective work. First, what is the portion size that the label states? Is it for the entire container, or only a small portion of it. In order for the numbers to appear lower in fat and calories many companies drastically reduce the serving size to make the numbers look better. In fact most serving sizes are measured in 1/2 cup or 30g sizes, in reality most people would eat twice that amount.

For example low fat frozen yogurt, a serving size listed on the label is 1/2 cup. Now who eats just a half a cup of frozen yogurt? Nobody I know has that amount of willpower to actually measure out a half cup, and put the rest back in the freezer. More likely we will eat easily 1 cup or more. However, if you went by the label you would feel good about yourself thinking you only had 100-120 calories, when in reality you had a 200-300 calorie snack. Then you wonder why the weight is not coming off.

Another example is cereal. Most labels list a serving size as 3/4 cup. If you have ever taken a measuring cup and poured in 3/4 cup you realize that is not enough to fill you up. So you do what most of us do, you grab a bowl and start to pour in the cereal until it ‘looks’ about the right amount. You may be surprised to find out that you have poured in about twice the serving size.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read the labels on packages, you should ALWAYS take a moment and read what it is you are really eating. Be aware of the serving size and take into account what you really eat, then when you total up your food at the end of the day you have a realistic idea of where your calories are coming from. Try this for a week and you may be surprised to find out that you have been suffering from portion distortion. Don’t be fooled, be smart, a little knoweledge really can go a long way.

Shelley Healy

 
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