Monday, March 27, 2017
Monday, February 22, 2016
Staying Healthy When No One Around You Is...
Congrats for making the decision to exercise and eat healthy. When you first start it is exciting and challenging. One of the challenges that you might experience is not having support from your friends and family. This can make it extra challenging to stick to your new healthy habits when you don't have support. I have experienced this and have learned how it is possible when you are all alone.
Follow these tips and you will be sure to have success.
1. Be Honest
Tell everyone around you what you are doing. This way there is no confusion at what you are doing. This also gives people around you the option to either support you or try to tempt you. Those that support you might come along after a while. Those that resist don't take it personally. It is really about them not you. They may not be ready to give up their bad habits. Just continue to stick to your plan and be an example. They may see your success and come along eventually.
2. It's All About You!!!
You made this decision to be healthy. It is not fair to except others to want the same thing. So, don't force those around you to change or get offended when they don't. It is your decision so you need to own that and stick with it. There will be haters that can't wait to see you fail so stick with you goals and plan. Prove them wrong and prove that it is possible.
3. Guilt
Don't guilt others into changing their behaviors. Don't be judgmental on their food choices of lack of exercise. No one likes to be judged and made to feel bad. This also will not help people change. They need to make that decision on their own. So saying things like "Do you know how many calories are in that bagel" or "Do you know what is in that hamburger?" is hurtful and makes people feel bad. There are ways of offering advise without being offensive and hurtful. If someone asks for help or advise give it to them but do it in a supportive and loving way.
4. Bring Your Own Food
When you go to a potluck or someones house for dinner don't expect everyone to adapt to your new lifestyle. Bring your own food options for people to share. This way you have food that you know that you can eat and you can encourage others to eat it. I would also be upfront with the host and tell them what you can and can't eat. This way they are not surprised when you don't eat certain foods or bring you own food.
5. Food Snob
No one likes to be around someone that can't eat anything and they are super picky when you go out to eat. This approach to food is too consuming. If your food choices are too extreme, they will most likely be too hard to follow and it won't last. Following a way of eating that allows for some give and take is the best way. It also allows for you to choose when you want to indulge a little and you can plan for that.
Looking down on everyone and judging them will not win supporters. It will turn people away. Again, this process and choice is YOUR choice not everyone else's. You can have to be ok with doing it alone and know why you want a healthier life.
6. Find Support
Finding a support group is key to being successful. If you surround yourself with others that adopt your lifestyle you will encourage one another and support one another. It will also making it easier to stick to your healthy new life. You can follow me on my FB Page or subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get support from me.
7. Eat Before you go
Eat something like an apple and nut butter before you go to an event. This will make sure that you are not starving and then end up making bad choices. I would not suggest eating a whole meal but eat some snack that has some protein, fats and carbs. This will make sure that you feel satisfied and that you aren't going to over do anything. You want the will power to avoid all those temptations.
8. Know Your WHY
Know why you want this and why you are doing it. To loose weight is not a good enough reason. You have to have a reason that compels you to do this and keep it up day after day. Some days are harder than others, but when you have a reason that motivates you and keeps you going no matter what, then it will not matter what others say or what others think about your new healthy life. You will do it anyways.
Changing old habits and starting new healthier ones can be hard. But doing it without support of family and friends is hard. Know that your choices are your choices. Be honest and open with people why you are changing and what you want to accomplish. Most people will be supportive and encouraging. Plan and prepare so that you will be successful in social situations. Life is crazy and unpredictable. Having a plan and being prepared will help you in your every day life.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Why isn't the Scale Going Down?
1. Over estimating your activity and underestimating your eating
Calories are what our bodies use for energy. Our bodies break down food (protein, carbs and fats) and breaks it down to sugar so our bodies can use it for energy. If the amount of calories that you consume is more than the energy that you are exerting then the body will store those extra calories. So, if you are over estimating your activity and underestimating your eating then this could cause the scale to move up or stay the same.
Getting a Fitbit or Garmin or some sort of device that will track your heart rate and steps during the day will give a good indication of how many calories you are using during the day. This will give you a good number to aim for as far as eating. You want to create a 400- 500 calories deficit to cause the scale to go down.
Just because you are exercising does not mean you are using a ton of calories. You want to aim for 30 - 40 minutes of exercise were your hear rate is elevated. If you are going on a walk and it is really not that difficult you may want to pick up your pace.
2. Are you Getting Enough Fiber?
Fiber helps you feel full. It also aids in keeping regular. If you are backed up the scale can go up a couple pounds. Not only are you full of all the waste but it can create gas and bloating. You want to make sure that you are having a bowel movement everyday.
Foods that have fiber are leafy greens, apples, whole grains, lentils, nuts peas and carrots. The fiber acts as a brush to your insides. It helps clean your insides.
3. Cardio
Cardio is when you have an elevated heart rate for over an extended amount of time. Your heart is pumping and using energy. Your heart is a muscle and needs to be worked and strengthened just like your other muscles. When your heart rate is elevated you heart is pumping blood and oxygen. This uses energy or calories.
Your body also uses different fuel sources when you do over 30 minutes of cardio. Your body can only sustain an elevated heart rate for a certain amount of time. There is no way you could do a full out high intensity workout for more than a couple minutes. So, cardio is when you have a heart rate between 65- 85% of your max heart rate. To calculate your heart rate you can do it here..
220 - Age = your max heart rate
The best way to get the most bang for your time and workout is to do intervals within your workout. So instead of just walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a set pace, you want to do moderate and high intensity intervals. This will make sure that you can really work your heart muscle, sustain the high intensity work and get the after burn.
The after burn or EPOC (Excess post exercise oxygen consumption). This is when your body is recovering and getting the depleted oxygen throughout your body. This creates your body to be burning calories after your workout not just during it. The more intense your workout the longer it takes your body to recover.
4. Weight Training
Just doing weight training is not enough if you want to loose weight. But when you do add weight training to your workout routine the muscle that you build uses more energy. This increases your daily caloric need or metabolism.
That is why is it important to get your body fat percentage checked. This will give you an indication if you are loosing fat and gaining muscle. If your body is composed of mostly fat, even if you are thin, it will make it harder to loose weight. The good news is adding a weight training routine to your workout will take care of this. I would aim for doing weight 2-3 times a week. If you need help designing or figure out what weight training program works best for you I would be glad to help.
5. Are you doing the same thing?
Doing the same workout over and over will stall your results on the scale. Variety is key. Our bodies are pretty amazing. They get efficient at doing our workouts when we do it over and over. That is why it might seem like when you first started on the treadmill it was very hard but after a couple weeks you increased your time and it didn't feel as challenging. The bad news is that your body is so efficient that you aren't using the same amount of calories to do that workout as when you started.
Make sure that you are challenging yourself with different forms of workouts and exercises.
6. How many hours of sleep are you getting?
Did you know that your body uses calories when you sleep? Pretty cool huh? Well, if you are not getting enough sleep then your body is not able to fully recover and feel rested. This will make you tired the next day and can limit your workout and activities for the day.
The more you are awake the more you have time to eat. So, if you have a problem with night time snacking the answer may be to go to bed earlier so you are not tempted to eat at night.
7. Stress
Stress puts our bodies into a state of overload. It also increases cortisol which holds onto fat. We are in that flight or fight mode and our bodies are storing fat because we are in crisis mode.
Make sure to deal with your stress in a healthy way or find something your like to do. Exercise will make you feel happier and can clear your mind or give you time not thinking about your worries. Try a yoga class or meditation. If you are not getting any relief you may want to seek some professional help.
8. Are you hungry or thirsty?
When we are thirsty our bodies may tell us that we are hungry but we are actually thirsty. Aim for at least 64 oz of water each day. For each hour of exercise you want to add 12 oz of water. If you don't drink enough water your body will actually hold onto the water and make you bloated cause it is storing it. If you drink water regularly your body will eliminate what is not needed and won't store it.
9. Underlying Medical Issue
Maybe you are doing all of the above and the scale is still not moving. Maybe there is an underlying medical issue that is causing your to gain the weight. It could be from medications that you are already as well. Your thyroid may be slow, this can cause you to gain weight. If nothing is working then consult with your doctor to get checked out.
I have created an amazing program "Reset Your Metabolism". We go over all the tricks and tools that you can use to get your metabolism raging. If you are interested in join my program click on the link below.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Loose those Love Handles!
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Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Free Ebook - 42 Delicious Fat Burning Recipes
My Free gift to you! Download this free ebook with 42 delicious Fat Burning Recipes.
Monday, December 21, 2015
How to Make More Money in Fitness Now!!
If you are like me you went into fitness because of you passion for it. Unfortunately, it is hard to make a ton of money in fitness. You are trading hours for dollars. There are only so many hours in the day. There are only so many classes you can teach a day or clients you can train a day. If you don't work you don't get paid. So, that means no sick time or paid vacations.
The good news is that you are your own boss. You are in control of your business and your bottom line. I have been in the fitness industry for 15 years. It does not always mean that you have to take on more clients or more classes. I will share with you how I work smart not just harder. Here are my tips on how to increase your income right now!...
1. Ask For A Raise...
If you work for a privately owned gym or studio there are no real rules on what you can get paid. That is good news. If you have been keeping your classes packed, producing results and making the gym money there is no reason why you should not get a raise. I am shocked at how little instructors make. Yes, you do have to start somewhere but if you are an asset to your studio or gym they will want to pay you more. Otherwise you will leave and they don't want that. Tell the owners what you have done and how you have helped them then ask for a reasonable raise. For example if you currently get $20 a hour you could ask for a $5 dollar raise. The rate would then be $25 a class.
Remember that you have nothing to loose when asking for a raise. Either they say yes or they say no and you keep making what you were making before.
If you work for a big box gym there are ways to get raises if you get more certifications or degrees. Finish your degree or get another certification. Make sure that you get a certification that is recognized by your gym. A lot of times certifications that are online don't really have much weight to it. So make sure you check ahead of time before you go and get it. Some great ones that I recommend are AFFA, ASCM, NASM, and ACE.
The extra certifications can also be applied to your Continuing Education.
If you own your own gym or studio you could increase the rates if you haven't done that in a while. A small increase of $5 more a month per customer will be a big increase for you. Increasing rates and fees is a normal thing. Your rates and fees should be assessed frequently. You want to me competitive with others around you but you also want to be paid what you are worth. If your studio or gym is getting full and there is not a lot of room for people increasing the fees or rates will weed some people out and mean more money in your pocket.
If you are going to increase your your fees or rates make sure to give your customers a heads up. Or just increase the rates for new members and let all of your old members keep the same rate. This is help keep your old clients loyal. They will not want to get rid of the good rate that they get to keep so they will be more likely to keep it up.
2. Certifications
Do you have a million different classes that you teach? I know I like the fact that I can teach so many formats. But you have to ask yourself are you loosing money with that format? Are you making money with that format?
There are several formats that I don't currently teach. Many of us keep them cause they think that maybe one day they will be teaching it. But if you are not making money off of it and it is costing you money every month it might not be worth it.
3. Apps and Services
There are so many tools that are available to busy Fitness Professionals. That is great news! Owning your own business requires tools and services to for our business to run smoothly. I currently subscribe to an email service, trackers for my personal training clients, marketing tools and designers. Take a good look at all the extra things that you spend your money on. If you are not using it, it probably is not worth it for you to continue paying for it.
4. Take Your Business Online
If you have waivers that your students sign when they join your class have them sign a waiver online. You can easily create a free waiver on google docs. This will save you money on paper and ink and save you space. You won't have to store the papers anywhere. You can easily create an opt in to your email list while they fill out the form. This will save you time from having to go back and inputting the information into your contact info.
Create a Blog or FB Like page. Update your students using your Blog and FB like page. This will be a great way to create traffic to your page and keep people engaged with you. It also helps to create better relationships with your students. This will hep retain your students and keep your students happy.
If you want more ideas on how to increase your bottom line without teaching more classes or taking on more students I am full of great ideas. Please follow me on FB Fitness with Lauren Morley or you can subscribe to my Blog www.fitnesswithlaurenmorley.net. I am passionate about teaching other fitness professionals all of my tools and tips that I have learned through my 15 years in fitness.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Benefits of Exercising While Pregnant
Benefits of Working Out While pregnant
I am currently in my 9th week of pregnancy. I am feeling great and not very sick, definitely not like my 2 other pregnancies. I am able to teach all my classes plus get in my workouts. Not everyone should do that. If you did not have a regular exercise routine before you got pregnant while you are pregnant is not the time to start. If you were regularly exercising then you can keep doing what you were doing. As your pregnancy progresses you may need to modify things to adjust for your new rounder shape.
Exercising during your pregnancy will help give you strength during your pregnancy. Your body will be carrying a lot of extra weight. Being strong and able to support that new weight will help.
Exercising during pregnancy will also give you strength and endurance during labor. It is called labor for a reason. It is tough. It is taxing on your body. If you take care of your body before and an in essence are training for labor you will be able to have more endurance and a quicker recovery.
Exercising during pregnancy will also help when the baby is here. The baby requires a lot of holding and cuddling and feeding. It may not seem like the baby is that heavy but if you are holding the baby for longer than a minute then they will start to get heavy. If you have built up strength before baby got here you will be able to cuddle and hold baby longer and will less soreness.
Exercising during pregnancy will also help you to not gain as much weight. A normal pregnancy should gain about 25-35 pounds. The more weight that you gain the heavier the baby, which makes it harder to deliver. The more weight gain makes it harder to carry about during your pregnancy thus making your more tired. Also, the more weigh that you gain the more weight you have to loose after baby comes. You will gain weight and that is a part of being pregnant but you want to make sure it isn't out of control. Talk with your doctor about a good amount of weight gain for you.
Even if you have to lower your intensity doing any sort of exercise is beneficial. Say you use to run but running during pregnancy is uncomfortable. Don't just ditch exercising all together. Switch to something more low impact like the treadmill, elliptical or swimming.
Make sure to consult with your doctor and let them know what you are doing.
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