New year - New You! Tips to help you develop your plan to get fit in 2014

New Year New YOU!  - Helping you develop your plan to GET FIT!
So here we again with the start of 2014.  What is going to make this year different from last?  You are.  You are not only going to set goals, you are going to develop a plan to achieve those goals.

Like most people, you are probably making goals to get fit, eat better and improve your overall health.  To make this happen, you need to get specific.  How are you going to more fit?  How are you going to eat better?  How are you going to improve your overall health?

Start with getting fit -
You need to make a plan and stick to it with exercise.  Schedule it and don’t let anything interfere with that appointment.  EXERCISE SHOULD NONNEGOTIABLE – like showering and sleeping ( I am hopeful you do these daily!).  Your body needs regular activity to function at it’s peak.   If you are a person who constantly gets stuck at the office or have other factors keeping you from your scheduled exercise session, then you need to consider becoming a morning exerciser.  Studies show that people who exercise first thing in the morning are more than 60% more likely to still be exercising a year from now.  Why?  Because it becomes part of their day and nothing that happens later can interfere because you have already gotten it done.   
If you are tight on time, be sure you have a plan that includes time efficient exercise programs like metabolic training  and or / high intensity interval training.  Do not try to train for a half marathon or marathon if you only have 30 minutes a day to get in shape and DON”T BE FOOLED into thinking you have to exercise for an hour or more every day to get fit and improve your health ---research has shown time and time again that short, intense exercise sessions (between 20 and 40 minutes) are just as effective for getting in shape and burning fat as longer duration exercise sessions.
Be sure to take a balanced approach.  You need to include strength and endurance training along with cardio exercise to get the most benefit for your body and your health.

Don’t try to do too much too soon!  If you have not been active for a while and are very busy, a plan that has you exercising 7 days a week is more than likely not going to work.  Be realistic and begin by scheduling 4 days  / week for exercise consisting of 2 days of strength training and 2 days of cardio.  After that becomes routine, then try to add to this with more active days.  Always include at least 1 rest day per week for your body to recover.
 

Not sure where to begin?  There is so much information out there and it can be overwhelming and confusing.  Call several trainers and interview them.  Tell them your personal fitness goals and time availability.  Find one that you can connect with (that’s why it’s called PERSONAL training).   Many trainers will design a program for you if you prefer to exercise on your own but need a plan and structure to follow.

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Trying to get Fit! AllyFitness's Tips on the so called "HEALTHY" foods you should avoid!

 'healthy' foods you should not eat

It's frustrating when your body won't change.When those extra inches won't go away.

If you're exercising regularly and still not seeing results then it's time that you look closely at what you are eating.  I tell my clients at AllyFitness all the time, you cannot out exercise a bad diet.

One of the biggest obstacles that prevents you from losing fat and getting into awesome shape is processed food  - plain and simple.  You need eat as much real food as possible every day.

The way more and more processed foods are being marketed as healthy, even the health savvy are being fooled.

Take a walk through the local natural foods market and you'll see nearly every form of junk food that you'd find at the supermarket – only with things like 'gluten free', 'organic' and 'zero trans fats' on the packages. THIS DOES NOT MEAN IT IS HEALTHY, LOW CALORIE OR GOOD FOR YOU!

Being gluten free, organic and trans fats free are all great.  However, if it is a cookie, it is still a cookie.  It is empty calories.

Fresh, organic veggies, fruits and meats are also gluten free, organic and trans fats free.  You don't see that on their labels though.  When those words are stamped on a package of cookies, chips or the like, then eating them is going to seriously slow your fitness results. Gluten free or not. Like I said earlier, it is still empty calories.

Here are the top so called 'healthy' processed foods that you may be eating that are stopping your results and keeping you from attaining your goals:

"Healthy" Cereal
Have you seen the cereal aisle at the natural foods market? Its shelves are lined with dozens of cereal boxes, all with bold health claims. There are gluten free cereals, cereals with no corn syrup, cereals with heart healthy grains, cereals with whole grains and even cereals with added vitamins.

Those all sound healthy, right? Well, sure those cereals are technically not as harmful as the brightly colored cereals from the supermarket, but as far as your fat loss results are concerned, the two are really about the same.

Cereal is a dense source of calories, which means it's almost impossible not to overdo it when enjoying a bowl. If your goal is to lose fat, then cereal, even organic, gluten free cereal, should stay off your daily menu. Most all cereals are highly processed and calorie dense.

"Healthy" Packaged Snacks
There is a brand of 'healthy' popcorn that literally has fit in its name. With branding like that it's no wonder people are confused and eating food that sabotage their fitness results.

Popcorn, and other crunchy, packaged 'health' food snacks are filled with carbohydrates and calories. Two things that you should be cutting back on when working towards a fitness goal. These snack items are habit forming, so you may tell yourself that it's just a once-in-awhile treat, but soon it becomes a daily occurrence. You need to be snacking on REAL FOOD, veggies, fruits and nuts.

Here's the simple, unchanging fact about packaged snack foods: No matter what benefits are broadcasted on the package, it's always going to promote fat storage. Yes, even if it has fit right in its name.

"Healthy" Energy Bars
The energy bar aisle at the health food store is a colorful, wonderland of beautifully packaged, seemingly healthful snacks. The bars contain nuts, fruits, protein and even goji berries. What's not to love?

All that sugar, for starters. Manufacturers are clever enough to call sugar 'evaporated can juice' or 'natural cane sugar' or even 'rice syrup' but that sugar reacts in your body just the same as any other sugar. It encourages fat storage. Also, most energy or protein bars use very low quality protein and it is most likely soy isolate, which should be avoided.

The next time that you reach for an energy bar, consider all of the calories and sugars. Look for bars that are low in sugars and high in protein, and if you're eating it in between meals consider eating just half the bar. And the bars should be for emergencies only, when you cannot get to REAL FOOD.

"Healthy" Bread
Have you ever spent time in the bread aisle, reading labels and trying to figure out which is the healthiest? It can be pretty confusing. There's wheat, whole wheat, gluten free, and sprouted grain. How can you tell what's the healthiest?

The unfortunate news, for all you bread lovers, is that when it comes to losing inches all bread is a problem. You see, gluten free bread is filled with just as many calories and carbohydrates as wheat bread or sprouted grain bread. Carbs cause your blood sugar to spike and then your body has to release insulin, which promotes fat storage.  Remember from a previous blog, I wrote that in order to lose weight and or inches, you have to control your insulin and your cortisol.

Never take a packaged food item based on the claims and benefits printed on the labels. When you're looking to transform your body, you must guard what goes into your mouth. Packaged foods, even those from the health store, are going to derail your results ever single time.

Speed your fitness results by becoming one of my clients. I'd love to get you to your goals using my results-driven method.

Simply call or email me today to set up your first workout.  

The Way Nature Intended

Food that's untouched and unprocessed is always going to be the healthiest. See how many real, whole foods you can fit into your diet, while cutting out the packaged foods. You'll be pleasantly surprised how quickly your body transforms when you eat food prepared the way nature intended.

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