You hear it all the time that you need to eat five to six meals everyday.  But hey, five to six meals a day can suck up a lot of time in the kitchen – if you don’t plan right.  Instead of wasting your time cooking a new meal every night, try this time saving weekend plan that I put together and follow.

Saturday:  Plan and Shop = 1.5 hours

Write out your meals for the week and go grocery shopping.  Include the basics:  lean protein, whole grain carbs for energy and a variety of fruits and vegetables for cell-repairing nutrients and antioxidants.  Always keep a running list on your fridge of staples that are in short supply: low fat milk and yogurt, natural peanut butter, mustard, salsa, brown rice, spices, and seasonings.  Add only the ones you need immediately to your shopping list.  The trickiest part I find is figuring out the quantity of foods you need for the week.  To help me, I buy at least five different colors of vegetables and fruits.  And for protein sources, I get 32 ounces of chicken breast, 12 ounces of turkey breast, four ounces of lean steak, eight ounces of fish or shrimp and a dozen eggs.

Sunday:  Cook and Store = 1.5 hours

It’s time to prepare, cook and portion up your fuel for the week.  Cook and store starchy foods like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and couscous.  Cooked grains stay fresh for about one to two days in the fridge. For your protein sources, bake or grill your weekly supply.  According to the USDA, you should eat cooked poultry and meat within three days and fish within one or two days.  So freeze anything you wont eat by Friday and thaw in the refrigerator the night before eating.  Just reheat and eat.  Cut up fruits and veggies for side dishes.  Sauté or steam half and leave some raw for salads and stir-fries.  Then put aside some ready-to-go meals by portioning a cup or two of vegetables, plus a half-cup of starch and four to six ounces of protein.  Finally, divide your fridge into categories of protein, veggies and carbs for quick meal building.  I know this all may sound a little labor intensive, but it really isn’t.  Just three hours of your weekend is all your need to free up more time on your weeknights so you can do the things you really want to do, like train!

Connie Marshall, CPT

Owner, LifeFitness4Me.com

Most cravings can be linked to a variety of physiological and psychological factors, including hormonal changes in the body, feeling emotional or eating simply out of habit.  But excess snacking can severly stand in the way of reaching your fitness goals and building lean muscle because additional calories simply leads to more body fat.  Another trigger that can spur on unhealthy cravings is missing breakfast (never miss breakfast, please!).  Doing so, or missing any meal, can be interpreted as starvation by your body, which can cause it to store a greater percentage of whatever you eat during your next meal. Eating breakfast increases your ability of making healthier eating selections throughout the day.

Here are some great tips to help keep your cravings under control:

1. Eat five to six smaller meals each day instead of three large ones. Breaking up your daily caloric intake into smaller increments not only helps curb binges and control your blood sugar levels (so your body doesn’t store excess calories as unwanted fat), but it also makes sure your muscles always have access to enough protein in order to grow. Bonus for your muscles: Every time you eat, your body uses certain amount of calories just to digest your food.  The more smaller meals you eat in lieu of larger ones, the more often your metabolism has to rev up to process your food, so you burn off more fat – and reveal more muscle! woo hoo!!!
2. Aim to have at least two snacks a day (mid-morning and mid-afternoon). These snacks have been shown to help maximize muscle gains.
3. Give yourself one ‘bliss day’ each week. We are all human and I believe that is impossible for the average person to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time.  Giving into what you desire once in a while can prevent cravings that can come from feeling frustrated from depriving yourself.  Instead, pick a specific day of the week to eat whatever you want as your evening meal.  Keep in mind that this meal shouldn’t be 4,000 calorie meal to make up for lost time! Eat normal portions of whichever food you typically stay away from during the week.

Try these tips and show those cravings who’s the boss!

Connie Marshall, CPT

www.LifeFitness4Me.com

It summertime and watermelon is in season – yummy! I found this great recipe while flipping through one of my fitness magazines and thought I’d give it a whirl.  I am not a big lover of having fruit mixed in with meat, but I’ve got to tell you that when I took a bite of this salad it seriously changed everything for me.  The flavors were bursting in my mouth and it was just amazing!

The salad is very easy to make and it tastes so refreshing, which makes it the perfect healthy summertime salad!

Roast Beef and Watermelon Salad

Ready in 15 minutes.  Makes 4 servings

• 4 cups arugula
• 1lb watermelon, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 4 oz fat-free feta cheese
• 1lb cooked roast beef, sliced (deli sliced is perfect)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (or less)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1tsp dried parsley

1. Combine arugula, watermelon, onion, cheese and beef in a large bowl.  Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk liquid ingredients, garlic and parsley until blended to make dressing.
3. Generously pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.  Served chilled.

Enjoy!

We all make mistakes in the gym (big and small).  But many times, a gym boo-boo can be all that’s standing between you and your fitness goals.  I’ve come up with a short list of the top 10 mistakes you want to avoid when working out at the gym:

1. Not Stretching enough:  Stretching is not only recommended, but it’s important.  Be sure to stretch after your cardio and hold it for 30 seconds to a minute.
2. Lifting too much:  Don’t lift more than your muscles can handle.  Focus on proper form, rather than amount of weight.  Progress slowly and you’ll see results.
3. Not warming up:  Prevent injury by spending at least 5 minutes on the treadmill.
4. Not cooling down:  Take a few minutes to lower your heart rate and stretch.
5. Training too intensely:  It’s more effective to sustain a steady but challenging pace than to exercise intensely for only a few minutes if your body isn’t used to it.  To avoid boredom, try interval training.
6. Not drinking enough:  Don’t wait until your throat is as dry as the desert sand to take a sip of water.  Hydrate yourself before, during and after exercise.
7. Leaning heavily on the stepmill:  This one drives me crazy when I see it.  Let’s face it, if you’re leaning, you’re not getting the maximum benefits (not to mention, it’s also hard on your wrists and back).  The intensity is too high if it’s too hard to stand up straight and rest your hands lightly on the rails – lower the intensity.
8. Not pushing yourself enough:  You should be working yourself hard enough to work up a light sweat – just be sure to stay on target heart-rate zone.
9. Jerking the weights: When you have to use your body’s momentum to get the weight up, that means it’s too heavy for you.  Don’t risk injury.  Control the weight and don’t let it control you.
10. Consuming energy bars and shakes during moderate sessions:  High-energy (also meaning “high-calorie”) foods aren’t needed unless you’re training for longer than two hours a day.  These foods are basically the equivalent of a meal.  A low-carb protein shake after a weight training session is OK and recommended.

Hungry before bedtime? Well cap off your day with more protein if you are geniunely hungry after an active day. This is not the time for heavy carbs, starch or fat-laden treats. Instead, choose a snack that is made up mostly of high-quality protein. Protein-rich foods supply ready amino acids for repair of muscle building during sleep – and rest is when muscle repair occurs. Foods with casin, a primary protein in dairy products, are a good choice as they provide a slow release of amino acids into the bloodstream, which builds muscle and can prevent muscle breakdown overnight.

Here are some great bedtime snack options:

• 1 low-fat string cheese + 1 small pear or;
• 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese + apple slices or;
• Fruity milk shake: mix 1 cup low-fat milk + 1 scoop whey protein powder + 2 strawberries + 1/4 cup of blueberries

Other important things to remember:

• Eat 5-6 small meals a day
• Eat every 2-3 hours
• Stop eating at least 2 hours before bedtime

Sweet dreams!

First off, “What is Metabolism”? Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain itself. Whether you are eating, drinking, sleeping, cleaning etc… your body is constantly burning calories to keep you going.  The goal it to keep your metabolism working fast so you can keep off fat and build lean muscle.  Here are some easy ways to boost your metabolism:

Strength Training: Strength training is the ABSOLUTE BEST way to boost your metabolism because it helps you build and maintain muscle.  Lifting weights stresses and breaks down your muscles, which respond by building more muscle cells to compensate for the new cells being replaced.  These new muscle cells require energy, and burn three times more calories than fat cells – so, the more muscle mass you have the more fat calories you’ll burn, even while resting!

Clean Eating: In addition to your workouts, you know that nutrition is a vital piece of the metabolic puzzle – properly fueling your body with the necessary nutrition allows it to build muscle, metabolize fat and perform well both in and out of the gym. Eating 5-6 small meals every 2-3 hours increases your metabolism  allowing you to lose more fat faster!

Avoid Crash Diets or Drastically Cutting Your Calories: While you might initially lose a few pounds, it’s a guaranteed way to send your body into survival mode, holding onto fat and slowing your metabolism.  Do not dip below 1,200 calories or you’ll cause negative metabolic changes and a decrease in metabolic rate.

Don’t Forget Your Rest Days: If you want to accelerate your metabolism, your rest days are just as important as your gym days.  During off days, your body recovers and repairs itself, building more muscle cells to burn even more calories and to boost your metabolic rate even higher.  Continually execising with no time off can lead to overtraining, which can cause your body to become catabolic, eating the muscle cells you’ve worked so hard to add!  Take at least one full day completely off from training per week, two if you’re working extra hard.

In summary, exercise with weights, eat healthy, ditch unhealthy, silly diets and rest!  All this will lead you to a happier, healthier, sexier YOU!

Is your personal trainer just not that into you? Has the sizzle in your personal training sessions fizzled?  Here are 6 telltale signs the training relationship is in trouble.

1. SHE DOESN’T WALK THE WALK: If your trainer has gained weight, something’s wrong.  She should be a model of fitness.

2. SHE IGNORES FORM: Not paying close attention can lead to injury.

3. IT’S A NO-THRILLS WORKOUT: Beware of assemble-line trainers who do the same moves with all their clients.  Routines should be more customized to the client’s fitness level and goals and should be frequently switched up.

4. DAZED AND CONFUSED: Gazing into space, chatting with others or not counting your reps.  All signs of being disconnected.

5. THERE’S NO NUTRITION TALK: Your trainer should be talking nutrition with you and asking things like, “Are adequately hydrated?” or “Are you eating clean foods?” I always talk nutrition with my clients, helping them understand that food is fuel as opposed to comfort.

6. SUCCESS IS UNREWARDED: Increased strength and stamina must be acknowledged with more reps or weight, not just a pat on the back.

Trainers who expect a 100% from their clients should give 100% as well – PERIOD! If you’re experiencing any of these with your personal trainer, then you should address it with them or get a new trainer.

Fit Mama Bootcamp Coming May 9, 2011!!

If you’re pregnant and want to exercise safely and stay healthier during your pregnancy then Fit Mama Bootcamp is just what you need. This is a small group fitness class that is specifically designed for pregnant women to help promote health and strengthen your muscles to help you cope with your pregnancy and labor.

Fit Mama Bootcamp will be a circuit training format which is a combination of moderate-intensity aerobics and resistance training designed to be easy to follow. This style of training is an excellent way to improve mobility, strength and stamina (all great to help you cope with your pregnancy).

LifeFitness4Me will be offering the Fit Mama Bootcamp classes 6 days a week at a great fitness studio in San Diego, CA starting on Monday, May 5, 2011 at 6:30pm. To learn more about the Fit Mama Bootcamp program including cost, class schedule and studio location, please visit www.LifeFitness4Me.com

Come exercise with other moms-to-be in a fun, safe, energetic environment! All classes will be lead by Connie Marshall, CPT and Certified Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist.

Happy New Year – It’s a new year and that time again when all the gyms are packed with new members gun-ho about their new years resolution to get fit!  Their intentions are good, but their efforts quickly fade after only a few weeks.  Why?  Well, I believe that in this day in age everyone wants a “quick fix” or some kind of instance gratification and so when we don’t see quick results we give up.  We need to be more realistic, more informed, more importantly patient when it comes to changing our body.  Here are some quick tips to help you stick to your resolution to keep fit:

Set Goals: I always suggest to my clients to set both short and long term goals.  Think about what you’d like to happen now and a few years from now.  For example, a short term goal maybe to reduce your soda consumption from 5 cans a day/7 days a week down to 2 cans a day/2 days a week until you can eliminate it all together.  Be sure to give yourself a specific date to eliminate soda from your diet and reward yourself (not with soda, ha!) for reaching that goal.   A long-term goal maybe to run a marathon by a specific date.

We tend to give up too quickly when we make change too hard, so goal setting is very important in helping making hard changes easier.   The key to goal setting is to make sure the goal is realistic (it is not realistic to lose 5 pounds a day), obtainable (specify a date to achieve that goal) and reward (celebrate your accomplishments no matter how small.  It will help keep you motivated).

Knowledge is Golden: Jumping into an exercise program without knowledge of how to train or how to fuel your body properly can do more damage than good.  People often wonder why after doing 60-minutes of cardio and eating as little as possible they’re not seeing results – hum, well because their body isn’t concerned with burning fat and building muscle, it’s trying to survive on the low calorie nutrients it’s getting.  Exercising is great, but no amount of exercise will reshape your body without appropriate nutrition. Be sure you’re consuming enough healthy food to support your exercise regiment.

Start Slow: This especially holds true to those who’ve never participated in a fitness program before.  I define a fitness program as a combination of strength training, cardio training and proper nutrition.  Changing your eating habits drastically and overtraining your body will be painful, frustrating and discouraging – all things that would make any person give up quickly.  Starting slow by setting goals and educating yourself on proper exercise techniques and nutrition will help ensure your success.

It’s a new year and a great time to start making a commitment to your fitness goals – INVEST IN YOU AND YOUR HEALTH (I know you can do it!).

Connie Marshall, CPT

Here are 5 easy ways to maximize your time at the gym, which will help you get in, get it done and get out!

1. Shut Up & Lift: That’s not only the motto on one of my T-shirts, but some good advice. Save your daily gossip for after your workout while enjoying your post-workout smoothie.

2. Know Before You Go: Know what muscles you want to train and the exercises you want to use before you get to the gym. Also plan alternate exercises in case you run into heavy gym traffic (it stinks when you have to wait 2 people deep for a machine – boo!).

3. Burn Baby, Burn: Incorporate 20-minutes of sprint intervals instead of 60-minutes on the treadmill – burn up those calories and condition your heart, oh yay!

4. Compound It: Incorporate moves that utilize multiple muscle groups, such as lunges with hammer curls or squats with an overhead press.

5. Circuit Training: Combine strength moves with bursts of cardio to keep your metabolism on its toes – burn more fat in less time. For example, do bicep curls then do a 30-second burst of jumping jacks.