Staying Fit During the Holiday Blitz

Tis’ the season for skipping workouts, splurging on decadent dishes, and sitting around drinking hot cocoa. Most of the time this means an expanding waist line and a larger number on the scale. All does not need to be lost during the holidays!

Plan For Success

The best way to avoid gaining weight in the next two weeks is to make a plan. Plan your workouts, plan your portions, and plan your discipline! You’ll have at least 25 minutes from the time you wake up to the time you are expected at family events. In this short period of time, you can fit in body weight exercises to boost your metabolism and break the hump of inactivity.

The Workouts

The moment you awake, start your workout in your pjs! Barefoot and all, you only need the space the size of a yoga mat. Combine the following moves for a quick pre-shower workout:

50 Jumping Jacks
40 Mountain Climbers
30 Air Squats
20 Pushups
10 Tricep Dips

Do 3 rounds and hop in the shower. You’ll be thankful you planned this out! For a more advanced version, try this:

50 Mountain Climbers
40 Jump Squats
30 Reverse Lunges
20 Decline Pushups (Place feet on bed/chair)
10 Tricep Dips (Place legs straight)

Perform 3-4 rounds.

You Are In Control

Remember that you CAN say no to the extra slice of pie, huge servings, and punch bowl. Limit your portions, but still enjoy a bite of something you truly want. (Like your mom’s famous mashed potatoes!) Keep discipline in mind as you make it through the few celebrations.

Plan Family ACTIVE-ities

Ask your siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles to join in an active game. Toss around a football, play tag, or walk to get your coffee. Spend time with family that requires some sort of activity. Try turning on some holiday music and dancing around, skip the eletric beater and beat those egg whites into a foam by hand! Try to get creative in every situation you can.

Let Go

Enjoy yourself. Remember to indulge if you really want something. Just be conscious of your activity, and get back on your healthy track ASAP. If you have an extra slice, cookie, or nog, go an extra round in the morning workout.

Vida Fitness Weight Loss Challenge

If you’re looking to lose a large amount of weight come 2014, I’ve got the challenge for you!

Do you need a serious change? Do you need to lose more than 20lbs? I’ve got the challenge for you! Vida Fitness is hosting a Three-Team Weight Loss Competition, with it’s 3 BEST trainers: Nicole Davidsohn (me!), Erik Strouse, and Andrew Gallagher. We’ll go head to head to help our teams lose the MOST weight over a 6-week period. The cost is 70% OFF Personal Training rates (WOW!).

Enjoy your holiday, because this will Kick.Your.Butt.

I’m hosting TEAM #3 and we’ll meet Wednesday AND Friday at 5pm, Plus Saturday at 9:30am.
Here’s what you get!
(3) 1-Hour long sessions per week for 6 weeks
A Comprehensive Nutrition Program (High Protein or Plant-Based) WITH Shopping List!
24 hour/7 day a week guidance and coaching from yours truly

***Winning Team receives 1 month VIDA Membership free***

LIMITED to 6 Participants
70% OFF Personal Training Rates!
Contact me today to join the team!

NDavidsohn@VidaFitness.com
Spread the Word!

PS: Body fat % must be over 25% for women, over 20% for men to join. This is a serious Weight-Loss challenge, not an aesthetic competition. We want to help you make a change that will last forever.

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!

Why Interval Strength Training is Right For You

What is Interval Strength Training?

High intensity exercises for set periods of time and rests. For example, a 1-minute interval of squat jumps with a rest period of 15-seconds and then a 45-second set of shoulder press-bicep curls and another 15-second rest. The intervals keep your heart rate up and the exercises increase your muscle mass.

In this day and age there is a machine and gadget for every type of muscle movement.

You may have seen these crazy late-night fitness gadgets and thought, “Well that looks like an easy way to get fit.”

You don’t need a gimmick that comes for 5 easy payments of 29.95. It will gather dust in your broom closet after you realize it does absolutely nothing for your body. You need a better body and healthier lifestyle, and I’m here to help you get it.

Is my program right for you? If you want to burn fat, raise your metabolism, burn more calories at rest, build muscle, build strength, and lose weight, then YES, this is right for YOU. My method is scientifically proven. I didn’t just pull it out of my magic trainer’s hat, it is backed by years of research.

When you get into a workout, your mind does not like counting reps, but when I say, “Ten more seconds,” you quickly realize you’re almost done and push it up a notch. This benefits you, your body, and me as a trainer. I’m able to push you harder so you get what you want faster.

Another great thing about Interval Strength Training is that it is fool proof against adaptation. Adaptation means your body becomes efficient at one activity and it takes less energy to do that one exercise, making you burn less calories. For example, if your workout consists of going to the gym, running 20 minutes on the treadmill and doing the circuit of machines, you will adapt very quickly; within 14 days to be exact.

When you do something new that challenges your mind and muscles, you burn max calories and gain strength. This is why having an educated trainer is so vital. There aren’t posters in the gym that tell you these facts, or show you how to avoid your pitfalls. There aren’t flyers telling you why you’ve stopped losing weight, or why you’ve even gained a few pounds back after working out for 2 months. I’m here for that, and I’m here for YOU.