Simple Steps to Fight Holiday Bulge

Holidays: A time to see family you never see and enjoy a buffet of homemade food that took “blood, sweat, and tears” to make. After sitting down for 2 hours and feasting, you feel like you’re going to explode and fall asleep at the same time. This isn’t healthy, to say the least.You figure you’ll lose all the extra poundage after your New Year’s Resolution in January that you keep for 3 weeks, and then realize you’re too lazy and have to go through canceling your gym membership. That’s fun. As you sit inside going through all this paperwork to cancel something you talked yourself into 3 weeks before, your car gets towed because it’s been there for more than an hour. Now you not only have to pay the “early termination” fee, but the cab fee, towing fee, parking ticket, and impound fee. YAY!  Let’s not go through that. And yes, that’s a true story! (Not mine.)  I’ve got the facts and tips you’ll need to fight that holiday bulge, enjoy your family time, and even eat some healthy comfort foods! Read on…

Here are the facts: Simple. Clean. Cut.

  • Fact #1: People overestimate how much they think others (and themselves) gain during the holidays. They THINK they gain 3-5lbs.
  •  Fact #2: On average, people gain the most of 0.8 pounds! Not even a whole pound! 
  • Fact #3: They continue to gain that weight each year, not losing it ever, and that weight accumulates making them THINK they gained it all during the holidays. So by the end of the year, because of celebrating various year-round holidays, birthdays, and other occasions, they have gained 3-5 pounds…and continue to gain it year after year. (It’s not just Thanksgiving and Christmas.) Gaining weight is a year-long process.
  • Fact #4: To avoid gaining weight over the holidays, eat holiday meals like you would any other: Make a regular sized dinner plate of food and enjoy a tiny portion of dessert if you have the “extra” calories to spare.  (So keep your total calories the same, even if you’re eating holiday-styled food. Just figure out the calories of each, and eat a small portion of it.)
  • PORTION CONTROL IS KEY!
  • Fact #5: Continue exercising normally, even if it is snowing outside, so you are still burning calories like normal, and still losing weight/ staying healthy and fit.
It’s pretty simple. Calories in and calories out. YEP! That’s the secret to weight loss. Math.
Eating is like spending money from your bank account. If you overdraft (eat too many calories) then you get a penalty (gain weight). I’m sure you’ve heard this simile before.  So what else can you do?I make healthy versions of holiday foods. Like instead of adding butter and sugar to things, enjoy their natural sweetness. I’ll work on my holiday recipes for you and get them out soon!

Don’t forget to Like, Follow, and Pin this post below! ❤

Best Health,

Nicole
PS: If you’re receiving personal training from me, or want tips on exercising to burn extra calories during the holidays, send me a message or comment below with your return email.

Before Workout Fuel



Your body’s muscle glycogen stores are limited. Depending on intensity and length of your workout session, not feeding it carbs before hand can make you end up hitting a wall. Giving your body proper simple carbs before a workout will allow you to push harder and longer.

I normally suggest against simple carbs because they are instantly absorbed and used by your body, like white sugar, white rice, white flour, and so on. In this case, I am suggesting a healthy-instant fuel so you will get a little nutrition along with your simple carbs.

Of course you could just pop a handful of jelly beans, but lets see what else you can have before a workout.

20-30 Minutes Before

  • Bananas or Other Fruit– Includes some healthy fiber and nutrients
  • Low-Fat Yogurt – Provides a little protein to preserve muscle mass, as well as carbs to fuel you through the wall you won’t hit! Hint: Full fat yogurt does not do the same thing. The fat will slow you down and make you feel too full to workout. 
  • Low-salt pretzels – Instant fuel. Hint: High salt will hinder your workout performance so choose low-sodium! 
  • Small Smoothie 4-8oz – A shake made with soy milk and and a handful of frozen fruit will provide you a low-fat, simple carb fuel that will digest quickly and easily.
  • Half PB&J on Whole Grain– Yes, on whole grain. The complex carbs will digest through out your workout, and the jam will be the instant fuel. Use a low fat PB like PB2 powder+Water to avoid feeling too full.
  • Strawberry Yum Yum- 1 Scoop Low Cal Vanilla Protein Powder, 6 oz low-fat yogurt, 3 strawberries

2-3 Hours Before (to allow proper digestion)

  • 1 cup Pasta – Love pasta but trying to lose weight? Eat one cup of your favorite low-fat variety (no cheese/white sauce) before a scheduled exercise session.  Choose a healthy pasta made from quinoa or brown rice. Avoid high-fiber pastas because they may cause indigestion and not make you want to workout!
  • Pita + Hummus – Use 1 whole grain pita and 1/4 C non-spicy hummus. Spicy foods will cause indigestion! (Not that I know this from experience of anything…)
  • 1 Slice Whole Grain Veggie Pizza (no cheese)- Does this really need an explanation?
  • Whole Grain Sandwich + Low-Fat Protein (low sodium, no cheese, no mayo) 
  • Quinoa Pilaf – Protein, Whole Carbs, and Veggies
  • Protein Pancakes – Protein powder in pancakes? Double delish.
  • Whole Grain Waffle + Low-Fat topping 
  • Whole Grain Toast + 1 Egg White 
  • Oatmeal + Raisins/Fruit

Go Eat! 

Now that you understand what you need to fuel you through a workout, you have no excuse to not hit the gym hard today! Have fun!

Best Health,

Nicole

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Why You Feel Like Sh*t When Starting a Clean Diet

You’ve decided to lose weight. You’ve changed your diet to rid the junk. And you’ve started exercising to your limits. You’re losing weight and feeling great. You’re doing everything right possible, and BAM! You start to feel terrible. Why would you continue on a path that is making you feel like shit? Well, let me tell you this.

It’s not the new diet that is making you sick, it’s the old one.

Sugary sodas, fatty chips, cheesy crackers, candy, flavored sweets, cakes, cookies, and pops. Jelly, pork and beans, white bread, ice cream, frozen yogurt, fluffy pancakes, bacon, sausage, processed lunch meats and cheeses, muffins, pie, pudding, and cheese puffs.  You love them and you can’t get enough of them.

They store toxins in your body…in your fat cells to be exact. When you change your diet and start exercising, you are emptying those fat cells, and releasing those toxins. Where do they go? They get released into your blood. Your blood reaches every part of your body, which means so do these toxins. And that is what makes you feel like throwing up, sleeping, and not caring about salads.

Also, when you’re making drastic changes, your stress hormones rise, making you feel even worse. This is why in my Weight Loss Journey Behavior Steps, I give you time to change. One a week! Therefore, your body has time to adapt to the changes, keeping your hormones level, and detoxing slowly. When you do it quickly, your body will feel like crap for a couple days. You’ll need to rest up, clean out your liver (where toxins go through), and drink so much water that you have to pee every 20 minutes. Seriously.

Flush it out! This herbal detox tea that will clean your liver and other organs. Yes, herbs work. What do you think people used before medicine? Do NOT eat the junk food because it will reverse the detox process and put you back where you started. I know how bad you want to quit and how badly this is making you feel, but that’s your past haunting you. It’s torturing you for all that torture you did to it.

The other ways to release toxins are by having bowel movements (poop!), sweating, and breathing. Eat lots of greens (a huge bowl of steamed brocoli, kale, or spinach each night) so you will release toxins when you wake up.  Engage in aerobic activities that make you breath heavily and sweat lots. Running, dancing vigorously, cycling, plyometrics, jump roping, kickboxing, and other types of cardio are great.

Hint: If you have access to a sauna, use it. Your skin is your largest organ that has pores to release toxins. Sweat. It. Out! Just make sure you drink lots of water so you don’t get dehydrated. 

Bottom Line: You will feel like crap when your toxins are being released. You’ll drink so much water you’ll want to just pee your pants. And you’ll sweat so much you’ll need a towel. It won’t last forever. Soon you will be right back on your feet and feeling the burn, tasting the greens, and smiling through it. You’ll see amazing results, feel like a million bucks, and never go back to your old ways. Good luck!

Best Health,

Nicole

After Workout Fuel

Nutritional timing is vital for your performance, endurance, and recovery. I’ve got the nutrition profile for the easiest and most tastiest after-workout fuel you need.

Immediately After Working Out for 60+Minutes

Notice there are about 40 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein. A 4:1 ratio has been shown to improve recovery, reduce soreness, and promote muscle synthesis. The carbs restore your depleted glycogen and reduce muscle damage. Eat a meal like this immediately after your workout.

Recipe

  • 1 Organic Banana 
  • 1 Tbsp Agave Nectar, Maple Flavored
  • 2 Tbsp Organic Peanut Butter 

Slice the banana and mix in the agave and peanut butter. Yum! 

Within 30 Minutes After Working Out

This should hold you over until your next meal, which should contain Branch Chained Amino Acids and complete proteins. This will further optimize protein and glycogen re-synthesis. I enjoy either a Vega Sport Vanilla Protein shake with just plain water or I make my special hot chocolate. One scoop will give you 25 grams of protein and BCAA from pure, mostly organic sources.

Recipe

  • 1 scoop Vega Sport Performance Protein, Vanilla 
  • 2 tbl Natural Unsweetened Cocoa 
  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk, boxed
  • 1/2 cup Water
  1. Mix non-dairy milk and water in a large mug.
  2. Heat on high for 2 minutes.
  3. Slowly mix in cocoa and then protein. Enjoy!

Weight Loss Journey: Behavior Change #5

S.M.A.R.T Goals

I’m sure you’ve made goals before. A goal to lose 5lbs, a goal to get an A on a test, a goal to graduate. Those are simple goals; let me introduce you to SMART goals. They will help you accomplish your weight loss goal and assist you through your journey so you know what to do, how to do it, and when it should be done.

Specific – A specific goal is one that is clearly defined in such a way that anyone could understand what the intended outcome is. Goals should contain a detailed description of what is to be accomplished; when you want wants to accomplish it by; and the action(s) that will be taken to accomplish it.

Example: I want to lose 35 pounds by March 1st, 2013 by exercising daily and eating clean and healthy.

Measurable – Your goal needs to be quantifiable. Establish a way to assess the progress toward each goal. If a goal cannot be measured, a client cannot manage it. You need: Scale for pounds and body fat %. Measuring tape for inches.

Example, “I want to look better” is not measurable, but “to reduce body fat by 5% in 12 weeks” is measurable.

Attainable – Attainable goals are the right mix of goals that are challenging, but not extreme. Goals that are too easily accomplished do not stretch a client or make him or her grow as a person because they are not challenging enough.

Example: Instead of aiming to lose 20 pounds, try for 7-10lbs, if overweight or obese. Obese means 30+ pounds over the healthy range.

Realistic – To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which an individual is both willing and able to work. A goal is probably realistic if the individual truly believes that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know whether a goal is realistic is to determine whether a client has accomplished anything similar in the past or to ask what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.

Example: I have lost weight before by eating healthy and exercising so I know I can do it again, but make it permanent this time. 

Timely – A goal should always have a specific date of completion. The date should be realistic, but not too distant in the future. For example, set goals that can be achieved tomorrow and in 3 months.

Example: I will lose 35 pounds and 10% of body fat by March 1st, 2013.

Total Goal: I will lose 35 pounds and 10% of body fat by March 1st, 2013 by exercising 60 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training at least 5 days a week. I will also avoid processed foods, sugary foods, and eat clean and healthy. I will lose 5-7 pounds per week and measure this by weighing myself on Sunday morning before breakfast.

Bonus: I will check in with my trainer daily to make sure I am on the right track, and to express how I am feeling. I will post a monthly picture of myself on Facebook or Twitter for social responsibility.  

A great way to start your weight loss journey, to start your full commitment is to start with a SMART goal. Write it down and put it somewhere you will see everyday, like the fridge, your desktop, and phone wallpaper. Do not skip this part! If you’ve been following the behavior changes, you should be fully ready to write this goal and begin it now. Today. Tonight. Whatever time you are reading this, start now. 

You should make a short term goal and a couple long term goals, one for 3 months, 6 months, and one-year. Write yours in the comment below. Don’t skip any steps! Displaying your goal in public holds you to a higher responsibility, so express your goal everywhere and you will have a higher chance of accomplishing it.

Action Plan 

You must make an action plan to meet your goal. Here are the steps. By the way, I’m explaining all the secrets of being a personal trainer FOR FREE! If you want to help me back, please LIKE my facebook, FOLLOW my twitter, and DONATE to my paypal so I can keep helping you for free.

  1. What is my objective (goal)?
  2. What is the target date to complete my goal?
  3. What resources are needed to accomplish my goal (money, time, equipment,  people)?
  4. What do I need to accomplish on a daily basis to reach my goal?
  5. What is the current status of my goal?
  6. What are some possible difficulties I may have to overcome to reach my objective?
  7. What is my total goal?

Feel free to take advantage of the Limited Time Offer to receive full 1-1 personal services.

Thanks for reading and good luck with your Weight Loss Journey.

Best Health,

Nicole

Top 5 Reasons You’re Fat

The top 5 excuses people use to avoid eating healthy and exercising. Which one is yours?

  1. Time
  2. Unrealistic Goals
  3. Lack of Social Support
  4. Social Physique Anxiety
  5. Convenience 

Sound familiar? Now here is how to beat these excuses! I never want to hear them again.

Time

The number one reason people don’t exercise is because they complain of lack of time. When it comes down to it, you are just using that time to surf the web, watch tv, text, or Facebook. You need to prioritize your time and find your health at the top of the list. This may mean waking up earlier or going to bed later, recording your show for another time, or skipping Facebook for a day. Priorities first, and health should be one of them. If you really don’t think you have time, then write a time journal for 3-4 days. Figure out how you spend your time and where you can fit your health in. Before long, you won’t be able to do those other things and you will be obligated to put your health first.

Unrealistic Goals

Proper goals increase motivation, raise confidence, and prove that paying attention to eating healthy and exercising work. Unrealistic goals decrease motivation, lower confidence, and decrease self-esteem. If you have an unrealistic goal, attempt it, and fail at it, then you will not try again. You will be broken and it will take a while for you to get back on your feet. This is why SMART goals are so vital to your success. It is my job to help you set up a realistic goal so you know what to do, how to do it, and how long everything is going to take. It is better to make smalls goals and smash them, than make huge goals and fail them.

Lack of Social Support

Social support is the perceived physical and emotional support from those around us. There are many types such as emotional, instrumental, informational, and companionship. You must define the amount of social support you need to continue and permanently change your lifestyle to a healthy one. Sites like this one, your personal trainer (me), your nutrition specialist (me), and Facebook pages can be your support. Spouses and friends can also be there for you, but you must depend on yourself to reach out for support when needed.

Social Physique Anxiety

This type of anxiety is that which makes you feel different, incompetent, and not able to fit into a healthy setting. You don’t feel like you are thin enough to go to the gym, healthy-looking enough to go to a health food store, and you believe you are incapable of being in a fitness setting. You wear baggy clothing to ward off anyone of analyzing your body type. A way to overcome this is to wear appropriate workout attire and to start working out with similar body types and friends.

Convenience 

Everybody wants that miracle pill that will make them lose weight overnight. “Oh you know the secret to weight loss? How much is it and where can I buy it?” Access to personal trainers, gyms, classes, and nutrition counselors may be limited to you. But guess what? You can always get fit at home. Contact me for a home program now! It’s super easy to get fit and healthy without any special weights, machines, or gadgets. Personal trainers can come to you. Convenience? Not an issue.

Weight Loss Journey: Behavior Change #4

Write. It. Down. 

Keeping a food and exercise journal has been scientifically proven to aid in weight loss. When you have to measure and see the numbers of exactly what you are putting in your body, you learn that you should be putting less. Less meat, less dairy, less sugar, less salt, and more fiber, more whole grains, and more veggies.

For someone to track every single little bite, they must be dedicated. You can’t skip the banana because you think it’s healthy – it still contributes to daily calories.

Let’s take a step back one second. You might be overwhelmed at this point and thinking you can’t do this. It’s O.K. A life change takes time, which is why I’m giving you behavior changes by the week, not the day. You must get used to doing things. Your mind and body need to adapt slowly. Shocking your body (like doing a fast or cleanse) will make you feel like crap and make you think it is impossible to lose weight and get happy from torturing yourself.

Keeping a journal is not torture. It’s an opportunity for you to learn about yourself, your behaviors, your energy levels, and how food affects all of that. We are all individuals and work best in our own ways, but that way can be healthy and you don’t have to be fat anymore.

I use http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/ to track my calories and macronutrients. There is also a diary section of it where you can write down how you feel: http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/diary/who/. This is a FREE service, which is why I use it personally. You can export your diary, print it out, email it, share it, so your responsibility for your life is 100%…like it should be now.

Most of us are overweight because of emotional eating. We eat when were bored, tired, excited, celebrating, happy, sad, and just wandering. We eat because we have an appetite from smells, looks, and commercials. But when do you eat when you’re hungry. Just plain hungry. You know you’re hungry when you tummy is grumbling, you’re feeling tired and weak, and you’ll eat just about anything to fill you up. This is hunger, and the only time when you should be eating.

It’s so important to keep a journal because then when you’re feeling that craving, but your body is not hungry, you can write. You can type. You can talk to your phone so it can keep the message for you. With the high technology we have now, it is simple to keep a journal. When I’m out, I access the MyPlate feature from the net on my phone. Before I take a bite of that salad, I make sure I write it down. If I didn’t make it myself, I ask about the details. I check the calorie menu. And I make sure I’m eating right.

How do you know what to eat and when? I’ll help you with my meal plan. It’s a great start to teach you how to eat simple recipes, and after a week you’ll get the hang of it and will be able to do it for the rest of your life. Soon you won’t have to use measuring cups and spoons because you will know how much a tablespoon and cup is. You’ll know one pear is one serving of fruit, and a dash of vanilla is a teaspoon.

If you believe in yourself, overcome those emotional boundaries, and start measuring today, you can lose weight. You can do this. Now go sign up for a free account on LiveStrong, and start recording now. Don’t wait for tomorrow, don’t wait for Monday, Start Now!

Weight Loss Journey: Behavior Change #3

You can guess the behavior change this week by the picture. Behavior change number 3 is to say goodbye to junk food and food-like substances. I admit, this is the hardest step to make. That is why we started with education and adding in good stuff. Now the journey gets harder.

People react defensively when things are taken away from them. They usually react by doing the exact opposite of what they are supposed to be doing. I say no fast food, you have it for dinner. I say no ice cream, you buy a gallon. It’s human nature. We don’t like to be deprived. In scientific history, deprivation means starvation, means death.

Today, we have access to unlimited food, drink, and food-like substances (which we will define in a minute).

But this isn’t taking anything away from you… except fat, pounds, and inches. This is taking away medications for high cholesterol and triglycerides, clearing your skin, giving you a higher metabolism, taking away headaches, body aches, cramps, and pains. This is taking away plaque from your arteries so your blood and oxygen can flow freely.  This is taking away the thought, “Why am I so fat? Can I ever look that good? What is stopping me?”

You are stopping you. Only You can change your lifestyle and You can’t depend on anyone. Not your bestfriend to come with you to the gym, not your mom to cook you the right foods, not an expensive meal plan that ships you the right meals everyday. I’m here to help you get through this, but YOU have to dedicate yourself and decide to change your life right now.

Take out the junk food. Clean out your kitchen. And stop thinking you need it to survive.

You can donate unopened and unspoiled foods to a nearby church.

What is junk food? 

Processed, simple carbs, foods with preservatives, sugary snacks, candy:

  • white flour
  • white bread
    • Anything with Enriched Bleached Flour, Enriched Flour, Wheat Flour (Same as white flour)
  • sugary cereals
  • boxed bars (Poptarts, granola bars, protein bars)
  • chips
  • soda
  • cookies
  • crackers with any preservatives or sugar
  • canned goods that have added ingredients (like Boston Baked Beans, Clam Chowder, Pie filling, etc.)
  • ice cream
  • sugary yogurts
  • whole milk
  • milk chocolate (Dark chocolate with min. 70% cacao is O.K)
  • candy
  • sugary condiments (ketchup, bbq sauce, fake maple syrup)
  • cheese (unless lite)
  • sausage
  • processed meats (lunch meat, frozen chicken fingers, etc)

Basically, if you can’t pick it from the ground, or kill it with a gun, take it out.

If it doesn’t spoil in two weeks, then it probably isn’t good for you, except for things like this:

  • dry quinoa
  • dry or canned organic beans
  • dry legumes
  • stone ground whole wheat
  • rolled oats
  • organic spices (Seasoning salt is not a spice! The first ingredients are salt+sugar.)
  • organic canned soups
  • molasses
  • stevia
  • etc.

Now that your kitchen is clean, you are not allowed to bring that crap back in the house. If you feel the need to eat something that is junky, buy a single serving and enjoy it outside of your home. Your kitchen is now a sanctuary and you’re not allowed to taint it!

What is a Food-Like Substance?

A food-like substance is something that pretends to be food, but is just processed, chemically-altered, factory produced, edible substances. Just because it’s edible, doesn’t mean you should eat it. I say:

If it’s a plant: Eat it. If’ it’s made in a plant: Don’t!

All those substances you see on TV are made super cheaply by people who don’t care about your health and only care about money. If it needs to have a label that says its healthy, it’s not. Does an apple have a label that says it’s good for you? No, it doesn’t need it. Does a FiberOne bar have a label that says it good for you? Yes, because it needs it. Isn’t fiber healthy? NOT IF IT COMES FROM A FACTORY! Don’t feed into marketing bullshit. Get real, and get real food. You know what has all the fiber you need in a day? Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Not a sugary, processed, chemically-altered FiberOne bar that will stop up your digestion! Learn this now, and forget all that crap and all those “health-claims.”

ORGANIC PRODUCE DOESN’T NEED A HEALTH CLAIM: YOU KNOW IT IS HEALTHY. Remember this, throw out the crap, and begin your weight loss journey correctly.

Email me if you need help: NicoleDavidsohn AT Gmail.com

Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal

Hello Lovelies!

It is the season of sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and pumpkin! I love Autumn flavors so be prepared for plenty of healthy recipes including these great ingredients and lots of cinnamon. Yum!

Here is a sample recipe from my meal plan! It is a delicious meal that can be enjoyed anytime of the day, but I have it for breakfast. Yum!