Apply these to your everyday life!

Apply these strategies to your everyday life to drop pounds and feel great! 

1. If you can't grow it, don't eat it. A potato comes from the ground, an egg comes from a hen. Where does a pop-tart come from? My guess is that it came from "Aisle 5." Unprocessed foods will give you the most benefits. 

2. Read the back of the box first. The front of the box is all advertising to catch your eye. Bright colors, pictures, 35% less fat stickers etc. Flip it around for the real story. 

3. The crunchier, the better. Snacks (such as apples) that offer a big crunch when you take that big bite are best. Keep your mouth busy while crunching on something such as celery, carrots, nuts or snap peas. The longer you chew- he slower you eat and your body is satisfied in a shorter amount of time. 

4. This isn't your last meal. A food storage is not imminent. Once you've reached the point where you are so full, anything you put in your mouth afterwards doesn't seem to taste as good. 

5. If you have a craving once in a while- you should satisfy it. Frozen Yogurt doesn't replace the "Real Deal" in my mind. When you're craving Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, no amount of fat-free ice cream will make up for it. Diet foods tend to leave you feeling unsatisfied and cheated. If you splurge once in a while, you'll be satisfied physically and psychologically. 

6. If it's not around, you don't need it. You know you have a problem WHEN you are curled up on your couch watching Greys Anatomy when you actually get up , get dressed, put shoes on, and leave your apartment to satisfy that craving for Cool Ranch Doritos. Laziness will triumph. 

7. Judge food by it's cover. When you have to peal through layers of plastic and paper to get to your food, it's likely to be unhealthy. 

8. Work for your dinner. When it comes to meal time, most people are usually so hungry that they inhale the chicken straight from the bucket. But for a healthy meal, you should invest a little time into chopping or even rinsing vegetables. Obviously as we all know, when you prepare dishes yourself, you know exactly what's in it. 

9. Fuel up in the morning. To most people dinner is their biggest meal of the day. Why eat the most when you are sitting on your couch at home being lazy? Doesn't it make more sense to fuel up in the morning while you have all day to burn it off? Aim for a 550 calorie breakfast, a 500 calorie lunch , a 100 calorie snack and a 400 calorie dinner. 

10. Drink lots of water!! Don't drink your calories away. I know those colorful drinks look great on the shelves, but really they are just full of unnecessary sugar. Don't let labels fool you. 

So Long, Sarong!

Most of us dread the thought of slipping on that bikini for the first time that season. I've come up with a strategy to help with this fear. This workout targets your biggest "trouble zones." Circuits are designed to strengthen muscles while adding a fat burning cardio element. Keep in mind, while you are weight lifting, your heart rate does remain elevated which helps boost your overall fitness level. 

Circuits can be tough, this is why you have to modify the circuit to fit your level. I suggest beginners starting off with 5 to 8 pound dumbbells in any lifting exercise. An example would be to do bench presses for one minute, do as many as you can with your arms above your chest as you lift and release. Follow this by doing one minute cardio blasters after the exercise. 

Circuit #1:  Tone up that tush! 

1. Straddle squat. 

• Choose the appropriate dumbbell and hold one in each hand while straddling a step positioned vertically. Point your toes and knees forward. Bend your knees at 90 degrees as you squat down. It is important to keep your chest and head lifted. Return to standing position and begin again. 

CARDIO BURST HERE! ONE MINUTE OF FREESTYLE CARDIO.

2. Seated Squat. 

• Start seated on the front edge of your bench. Feet should be hip width apart while facing the front. Extend arms in front of you or above your head (this is more difficult). As you squat pretend like you are about to sit in a chair and drive all your weight into your heels. Squat down until you hit the bench, lightly tap it DON'T SIT  , squeeze your gluts and stand back up. 

CARDIO BURST HERE! ONE MINUTE OF FREESTYLE CARDIO.

Circuit #2: Bikini Abs

1. Toe Taps 

• lie with your back on the ground and arms at your sides. Bend both knees 90 degrees with feet lifted. Slowly lower one leg at a time and tap your toe to the ground. Switch legs. If you feel any back pain at all, do not lower your legs as far to the ground. 
  

CARDIO BURST HERE! ONE MINUTE OF FREESTYLE CARDIO.

2. Plank 

• This is an abdominal hold. Start lying on your stomach, place forearms on the ground and lift your mid section. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds while squeezing your abs.

CARDIO BURST HERE! ONE MINUTE OF FREESTYLE CARDIO. 

3. Half Boat 

• This is a Pilates style position. Sit up tall on the ground with your knees bent 90 degrees. Extend your arms in front of you with palms facing down. Lean back slightly so that your abs are engaged, lift both knees toward your chest with reaching your arms forward. Hold here for about 15 seconds while abs are contracted and then release feet to the ground.  

CARDIO BURST HERE! ONE MINUTE OF FREESTYLE CARDIO.

Circuit #3: Bye Bye Jiggly Thighs 

1. Side Lunges 

• Stand with feet parallel hip-width apart. If you are advanced you may add a dumbbell to hold horizontally between both hands at chest height, elbows bent. These are deep lunges. so begin by stepping at least 2 feet out to the right side. Keep both feet on the same line, not one foot should be in front of the other. Bend right knee 90 degrees while keeping your knee aligned over toes. Place the dumbbell on the ground by the right foot and hold for a few seconds. Step back to start. Repeat the same side, this time picking up the dumbbell. Continue this for one minute, switch sides and move on. 

CARDIO BURST HERE! ONE MINUTE OF FREESTYLE CARDIO.

2. Deadlift

• Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold dumbbells palm facing up in front of your thighs. This is hard to balance on one foot so pick a focus point and bend right knee behind you while you learn forward, lowering your torso parallel to the ground with lifting your right leg behind you. Keep your left knee (or whichever you are standing on) slightly bent. This contracts your thigh muscles. Keep your back straight while you bring the weights toward the ground, return to standing position for one minute and switch sides.

CARDIO BURST HERE! ONE MINUTE OF FREESTYLE CARDIO.

If you have a few weeks to prepare yourself for that summer beach weather, check out these sites as well. 

4 weeks workout plan 

Survival Guide to Bathing Suits 

INSPIRING WORDS: 

"PLUNGING NECKLINES ELONGATE YOUR BODY BECAUSE THEY DRAW THE EYES UP. - SUSAN MOSES, STYLIST FOR QUEEN LATIFAH.

Miss The Bloat

We've all had those days where we can't even get our fat jeans to zip. Ever felt that you've gained 10 pounds in two hours? This is uncomfortable, irritable , we are bloated. 

There are many reasons why we feel this way and and most of them deal with your diet. By making stupid choices, we expect our digestive system to just take care of it all after devouring those sugary energy bars, eat on the run and even skip meals. As kids, we used to get away with all of this, but everything as we know changes with age. 

One simple way to get rid of the bloating, is to change your diet altogether. One thing to keep in mind , is when you eat a lot of refined carbs (such as bread, pasta, potatoes and rice) , this is one of the most common causes of bloating. These foods break down into sugar quickly, and sugar creates gas. People who often increase their fiber intake, will often feel bloated more. Refined sugars also cause bloating in the same way, it is easily fermented bacterial and organisms in the gut, which produces gas and alcohol. Studies have shows, that the people who consume the most alcohol suffer from chronic bloating and other discomforts. 

A few helpful hints....

1. Cut back or eliminate all together sugars. 
2. If you are wanting to increase your fiber intake, do it slowly. 
3. DRINK WATER
4. Maintain frequent bathroom habits. 

Just enough protein...

Just enough protein...

• One thing people do not think about, is that protein does not automatically make extra muscle. In fact, If you eat more protein than your body needs, It will be stored as fat. 
• HIgh protein diets may also cause bone loss and kidney damage. (Watch your protein intake). 
• After an intense workout...your'e body may be tired, but it is certainly not ready to shut down. This is when the muscle build-up is starting to begin. You should wait about 45 minutes after you work out and then start takin' on those carbs with a tad bit of protein. Research shows that your post workout meal should consist of as much as four times as much to protein. 

Rainy Day Workouts

If you're like me and don't want to be rummaging around the city in the rain...here are some at home exercises you can do instead of being a couch potato. Now I expect you to do all these exercises after you read this....lets get to work! 

1. PUSHUPS- this is one of the best exercises out there. It works your chest, shoulders, triceps, abs, lower back and glutes. A little fact people don't realize is , the more muscles you work, the more muscle you build and muscle burns calories quick. Push-ups can be down either on your knees or with legs straight and keep your hands beneath your shoulders. 
2. SQUATS- very easy to do anywhere because all you need is your body-weight. This targets your quads, hamstrings and glutes. Increase your squats by putting your hands above your head. To begin..sit back like you are sitting in a chair and bend your knees as lower as you can. Squeeze your glutes as you stand and begin again. 
3. Step-Ups-go up and down quickly and drive your knees up until your legs start to burn. The fast you step up and down the more you BURN! As you step up with one heel, make sure to put all your weight on that heel to lift your other leg up. 
4. PLANK-talk about sweating when not even moving! While doing the plank, you must stabilize your body. Hold this position anywhere from 30-60 second, shaking is normal after some time. 
5. DEADLIFTS- this is a single leg workout that helps you with balance. This is a great workout for your hamstrings and to gain balance. Stand with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart while raising one foot and extending it behind you. Keep every muscle as tight as you can. This is the tricky part, while focusing on your balance, lower your torso towards the ground and begin again. 

Hopefully after repeating these workouts the rain has gone away and you can go outside for a walk! And stretch!