I wanted to build a little bit on my last blog, particularly number 5.  It is so very important to set attainable goals and to maintain your motivation.  Goals and motivation definitely go hand-in-hand with each other.

I’ve done some thinking about this and recognize that this is much easier said than done.  Then, I ran across a really great acronym to help you set S.M.A.R.T. goals. 

S- Specific: Your goals should be very specific.  Write down the exact thing that you will accomplish.  You can always do more, but you won’t be able to check off that goal if it is too broad. 

Your goal should be able to answer the following questions:
What do I want to accomplish? 
In what amount of time do I want to see results?
Why are you setting this goal?  This will help motivate you.

Example: Goal- I will focus on  tricep, bicep, and back exercises for the month of August so that I can wear that strapless dress at the Labor Day picnic with a toned and muscular upper body.   (This is much better than, “go to the gym.”)

M- Measurable: Your goals should actually be something that you could write on a To-Do List and check off.  Think about when you write your errands for the week.  You don’t just write “get in car and drive to stores.” No, you write “deposit check in bank, pick up dry-cleaning, buy lunch meat and milk from grocery store.” 

Just like your To-Do list targets your errands, your goals should be something that targets your workout routines.  Establishing concrete criteria will help you focus, measure your progress, keep you on track, and also motivate you. 

Choose a single area to focus on.  This will help you to not become overwhelmed.  It will also allow you to reach your motivational rewards with more consistency.  This will, in turn, lead you to a positive motivation system for yourself. 

A- Attainable: Prioritize your goals and plan small steps to achieve them.  When beginning, it is best to pick the thing that’s easiest and not necessarily the most important.  Although this may seem counterproductive, it actually will help you to achieve your goals more quickly because you will be more motivated to do so. 

Think about it.  Haven’t you ever done something that wasn’t on your original To-Do List and decided to write it in just so you could check it off?  (You know you have!!)  This makes you feel more accomplished when you look at the overall list and see everything that you’ve done.  This is because when you achieve it (and reward yourself) you will want to begin working on the next goal on your list.

R- Realistic: Your goals must something that you are both willing and able to do.  Therefore, start from where you are not from where you want to be.  Sure, you may want to be able to bench press 125 pounds, but right now you can barely lift the bar.  It is best to work up to the goal that you want in small steps.  

Also, allow for failure.  No one is perfect.  No matter how motivated you are to achieve your goals, you are bound to have a bad day or get sick along the way.  Don’t punish yourself for not being able to work out one day.  Instead, plan ahead to allow extra time to accomplish incremental steps.  Your internal motivation will thank you.  It can be devastating to your motivation is you don’t get to your goals but it is always more motivating to work more quickly than planned. 

T- Timely: Set a realistic timeframe.  Don’t say “I want to be fit in a year.”  Instead, break it up into steps over shorter amounts of time.  If you want t to lose 10 pounds, set a date to reach that goal.  If you want to decrease your BMI, decide how much you want to decrease it by and when you’d like to see that happen.  

The truth is, if you don’t see results, you will stop trying to reach the goal that you set for yourself.  So, give yourself timelines and checkpoints toward your overall goal.

And, most importantly WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS and SAY THEM ALOUD!  This will cause you to take ownership of your goals.  It is human nature to hold yourself accountable for things that you write down and say out loud.  Now’s your chance by leaving a comment below.

For added accountability, seek out a workout buddy or someone that is willing to check in with you about your goals and deadlines. Do me a favor and leave me a comment below about some of your SMART goals so that I can help keep you accountable for reaching them. 

You CAN achieve your goals, especially if you take the time to think them out and create SMART goals.  Good luck and happy training!

Posted by marj | in Motivational, Rant and Raves | No Comments

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So, you finally made it through the week.  You worked out all week.  You ate your protein, fruits, and veggies.  You drank plenty of water and got 8 hours of rest per night.  Now, it’s Friday night.  And, it’s time to go out and enjoy your weekend to the fullest … after all you DESERVE it.

Before you decide that enjoying it to the fullest means pigging out and watching TV all weekend or indulging in everything you missed out during the week, you might want to think twice. 

You definitely deserve a reward for your hard work and diligence during the week.  That is a very important part of motivating yourself.  But, you don’t want to ruin your progress by taking two and a half days to derail your training. 

Instead, follow these five simple tips to help you stay on the workout wagon over the weekend. 

1. Plan ahead to reward yourself.  It could be food, a night out, an extra drink at the bar, a huge helping of your best friend’s birthday cake, whatever is most motivational for that week.  If you have a plan, you have something to look forward to during the week. 

2. Enjoy that reward 100%.  You do deserve it.  However, only indulge in that reward if you were truly dedicated to your workout routine during the week.  If not, you might want to skip it.  It will be much more satisfying when you do achieve those workout goals.  

3. Limit yourself to that “cheat meal” or “cheat reward.” It’s easy to think that it’s just a piece of cake here, a beverage there, an hour of TV, but it can add up.  Before you know it, it turns into a piece of cake with a beverage while watching a marathon of your favorite TV show.   And, now it’s too dark outside to go workout so you just head to bed.  Your “reward” took up your entire day and took the place of your workout that day. 

What is your typical “cheat meal” or “cheat reward?”  Tell me below.

4. Don’t be a couch potato.  Yes, it’s nice to relax for a while at home or even read a book in a park.  However, think about jogging in between chapters or doing crunches and pushups during commercials.  You may be taking a rest day from your usual routine, but it’s smart to through in a little exercise throughout the weekend so that you don’t lose what you worked so hard to gain. 

5. Set attainable goals for yourself to accompany your reward system.  You want to make sure that your goals are challenging enough that you will have to work hard for them, but not too difficult that you will never get to enjoy your reward.  Your goals and your reward system are ways to ensure that you are motivated to achieve the level of fitness that you desire in appropriate increments.

Remember, daily habits are the foundation for your success.  Rewards function as a way to tell yourself that you did a great job. 

Leave me a comment below about your most satisfying workout week or the best reward you gave yourself?

Posted by marj | in Fitness Advice, Rant and Raves | No Comments

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When I go grocery shopping , my first stop is always to the produce section to pick up my fruits and vegetables.  Lately though, I’ve noticed more and more “organic” options. 

What exactly is organic and how is it different than “regular” fruits and vegetables?  According to the dictionary, organic means an item that is raised without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

I was raised to simply wash off the outer skin of the fruits and vegetables that I buy to rinse off any pesticides.  Therefore, would it really matter if it was organic? 

Actually, yes it does!  There are some fruits and vegetables that can actually absorb these chemicals through the skin.  This means that organic fruits and vegetables are the healthier option since they do not even have the opportunity to absorb the pesticides.

Well, I tried buying all organic options once and my total shopping bill was quite a bit higher since organic products tend to cost more.  I decided to do some Internet research and found out that some fruits and veggies absorb a lot more pesticides than others.

This means that I can target my organic shopping to include the fruits and vegetables that are most likely to absorb pesticides.  You can simply buy the organic version of the ones most likely to be contaminated.  

Top 5 fruits to buy organic:
1. Peaches- actually ranked number 1 for all fruits and veggies that contain pesticides and a single serving often exceeds the safe daily limit for a 44-pound child

2. Apples- 98% of apples have at least 1 pesticide contaminant in them.  You may actually want to skin your apples before eating them too.

3. Nectarines- 97.3 percent of samples tested positive for pesticides

4.  Strawberries- they have very soft skin that absorbs pesticides easily.  Also, they grow close to the ground so they are susceptible to soil pesticides as well.  The Organic Trade Association found that USA strawberries can be exposed to 371 approved pesticides.

5. Cherries- over 90% of cherries are contaminated with pesticides and USA cherries are more likely to be contaminated than imported varieties  

Top 5 vegetables to buy organic:
1. Sweet bell peppers- there are many different types of pesticides used on them and testing has shown that this is the vegetable most likely to contain the most pesticides overall

2. Celery- since it has no skin, the pesticides are absorbed directly into the vegetable.  The chemicals won’t be removed even if you scrub them prior to eating.

2. Spinach – can contain possible human carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) and DDT (banned toxin) is still often found in spinach from contaminated soil

4. Lettuce- similar problems as spinach.  You may want to consider growing this one at home.

5. Potatoes- the use of pesticides on potatoes is increasing so it is definitely one to avoid

Doing Internet research definitely changed my produce selection habits.  Of course it would be great to buy all organic options if you had the ability to do so. However, if you are on a budget like me and still want to make the healthiest choices, you can buy some organic fruits and vegetables and some regular ones as well.

Please tell me about your experiences at the grocery store.  Did this change your mind about your purchase choices?  Let me know by leaving a comment below.

Posted by marj | in Nutrition | No Comments

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3 Tips for Summer Survival

I know that the Summer is a busy time for everyone. You work so hard to get in shape for the summer then when it finally gets here you don’t have the time to maintain it.

If you can’t seem to find the time to get to the gym or to boot camp then download my Boot Camp Jump Start Manual here: http://wp.me/PTYLa-a

The Boot Camp Jump Start Manual has lots of great exercises you can do at home, plus a lot of great recipes and tips.

Here are 3 Tips To help you Survive the Summer…

1. Exercise first thing in the morning.

 This is always good advice, but more important during the summer. It is not as hot in the morning so you can really give it your all when doing your cardio first thing in the morning and burn the most amount of calories.

Plus studies have shown that doing 20 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning on an empty is equivelant to doing an hour in the afternoon.

And on top of that, there isn’t any excuses first thing in the morning except for the fact that you don’t want to get up.

2. Plan your cheat meal.

During the summertime it is really hard to stay perfect on your diet. With all of the cook outs and get together’s you are sure to eat too much or something that shouldn’t.

A good way to minimize the damage is to plan your cheat meal. If you know of a party coming up, try to be perfect on your diet at least a week prior to the party.

Then reward yourself with a cheat meal. Plan on what and how much you are going to cheat. This will help you to not over do it.

3. Plan an active adventure.

It’s finally warm out so now is the time to get outside and plan something active. I have a lot of clients who tell me they love to hike, bike, kayak or swim. But when I ask them when the last time they did any of that they say it’s been a really long time.

Plan to do something active that you enjoy doing. If you don’t plan it, you will never find the time to fit it into your schedule.

Well that is it for now, hope your summer is going great! Do me a favor and leave me a comment below telling me about a trip or adventure you have planned or have already done this summer.

Talk to you soon,

Jeff

Posted by Jeff | in Fat Loss Strategies, Fitness Advice | 1 Comment

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 Ever hit a plateau with your cardio fitness?  You know, when you can consistently run a distance run at a certain pace but can’t seem to reach that next fastest pace?  For me, it happened when I mastered the 8:00minute mile pace but couldn’t reach the 7:30minute mile pace for my distance runs.  While it is a great feeling to master that 8:00minute pace, it is frustrating not to be able to go faster.  Tell me about your experience below and read on to find a way to surpass it.

Well, there is a solution.  It can be called a lot of names, but I refer to it as Lactate Threshold training.  This type of training will help elevate your cardiovascular fitness to that next level by pushing your training sessions in increments.  Lactate threshold runs are easy to integrate into your existing exercise routine.  You would stick with your typical week of 2 medium-paced runs, 1 long run, 1 day off (or cross-training), and 2 speed days.  This would simply be one or both of your speed days during a particular phase of training.

Lactate threshold training is simple, but it requires that you be in tune with your internal body cues such as breathing rate, muscle fatigue, and exertion levels.  If you’re worried about this, just go for a run, think about the pace you are running, and think about what your body muscles and breathing feels like at that pace.  Remember, you’re at a plateau so you should be pretty familiar with these body cues even if you’ve never thought about it before.  Tell me about some of your body cues that helped you figure out your pace by leaving a comment below.

To successfully execute a lactate threshold run the magic number is 85%.  You will want to be working at 85% of your maximum exertion.  In case you aren’t sure what this means, a good rule of thumb is that you could talk, if you had to, but you really, really would prefer not to.  It’s being able to answer someone’s question while training but with a few huffs and puffs during the answer.  And, don’t forget, this 85% is relative and will change as your fitness level increases over time.  You will gradually cover more ground with each phase of lactate threshold training because you are becoming more fit.

A lactate threshold training workout can be done in a variety of ways, but it’s best to work it into your training in phases.  Lactate thresholds could be done as 2-3 x 5:00minute exertions with 2:30minute recovery in between.  Or, you could do 4-5 x 3:00minute exertions with 1:30minute recovery in between.  Or, you could do 2 x 8:00minute exertions with 4:00minute recovery in between.

NOTE: in my log I’d write: 2-3 x 5min LT (2:30 rec) or 4-5 x 3min LT (1:30 rec) or 2 x 8min LT (4:00 rec)

The key is that your recovery is exactly half of your lactate threshold exertion.  You would do certain combinations for 2-3 weeks and then switch it up during the next mini-phase with another amount of training work, depending upon your goals. 

And, it’s so rewarding because you really, really do see results within a small timeframe.  Your speed interval workouts will improve, your pace will improve, and it can be translated to your sport of choice as well!  If you try lactate threshold training or want tips on how to incorporate it, please leave a comment below.  Good luck and happy training!

Posted by marj | in Fitness Advice | 1 Comment

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Burn the Fat, Feed the Hungry was a Huge Success!

Our first Charity Boot Camp this year, Burn the Fat, Feed the Hungry, was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us. It was held Feburary 13th at Grand Slam USA in Timonium.

We had 28 people show up all together! We also raised $1,000.00 for the Maryland Food Bank! We reached our goal, thanks to a few late donations that put us over the top!

We had Boot Camp for 3 hours! About 8 people stayed the entire time! There were six, 25 minute circuits with a 10 minute break in between. During each break we gave away a lot of great prizes! Darrell Barrett Salon gave away a few cut and colors, Dr. Mary Ann Ley of Achieve Wellness Chiropractic gave away a free consultation and adjustment, Stephanie Haddock gave away a free 1 hour massage, Lisa Steve of Supper Thyme gave away $25 in Free meals, and Barbie Hargrave gave away a Herbaleane Nutrition Pack! Thank you to all of our sponsors!

If you missed out on the opportunity to join us, don’t worry! We will be having another in a few months! Thanks again to everyone that came out and supported us. It was a lot of fun and we all got a great workout for a great cause!

Do me a favor, if you were at this event, leave a comment and let everyone know how much fun you had! Thanks.

Posted by Jeff | in Fitness Advice | No Comments

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