Let's get fit! What you need and what you don't!

Spring is in the air and beach weather is getting closer! Though you may not have enough time to lose all the unwanted winter weight, you have plenty of time to start a fitness routine and begin transforming your body! The biggest differene between those who lose some weight from diet, and those who do it with added exercise is the way the body looks and feels. It is skinny fat vs. lean and fit! So under the layer of fat we have beautiful muscles that when trained properly, shine through, creating a strong and tight body! When we lose weight without exercise, those muscles remain soft and leave you looking flabby and weak!

Fitness is extremely important and should be used daily as a part of your regular routine. It doesn't require hours of your time, an expensive gym membership, or any fancy equipment! You don't need ANY special protein powders or supplements, trust me you will see results without them! So what DO you need? Let's get started!!!

A great pair of sneakers! Now these do not have to be expensive, they don't have to be the newest hottest sneaker, they just need to fit properly and have the support you need. Best thing to do is research online, then head to a sneaker shop, ask to be fitted properly and to be shown sneakers for cross training! Sneakers can range from $40 to $150, spend what you feel comfortable spending! Remember, you will be wearing them daily during your training, so choose wisely! 

A few pieces of exercise equipment will make fitness at home so much easier! This is what I recommend:

-set of weights (8-10lbs)

-yoga mat

-stability ball

That's all! You can even find most of these at yard sales, Craig's list or just by asking friends and family for workout items they don't use anymore! You would be surprised how many people own equipment they never use and want to get rid of! If you want it new, go to Walmart or TJ Maxx and you will find the best prices! You DO NOT need expensive machines, fancy treadmills, or an entire bench/weight set!  

Training at home is really simple! Even with the bare minimum you can get a fantastic workout! All you need is a plan! But where do you get one? YouTube is a fantastic resource! There are thousands  of channels dedicated to FREE fitness! Pinterest also offers thousands of workout routines fully explained! So get on line, start pinning new workouts, bookmark your favorite Youtubers and you have started your new workout library! 

What about a preworkout and post workout powder? Protein shake? No no and no! Do 't get sucked in to spending your hard earned money on anything except a healthy diet! Food is your fuel, you need to learn to eat clean and manage your diet long term! Head to the grocery store, fill your cart with fresh fruit, veggies, beans, rice, potaoes, oats, and start cooking! Everything our bodies need to build muscle and get lean is provided in our food! Everything else is a waste of money! 

As far as cardio goes, though you don't need to buy any equipment right away, I highly recommend an indoor bike trainer! If you own a road bike, a indoor training stand is all you need, if you don't, then a basic stationary bike would be great!! The reason why I don't recommend a treadmill is because majority of people starting out in fitness do not run and the extra weight on the body can feel very painful when running! A bike offers you a great cardio workout without the strain on your joints. It is easier and most people enjoy bike riding! But if it is not in your budgets, no big deal! Start walking! Get outside and walk 30 minutes daily! Find areas with hills, go hiking, find some trails, and just start moving! 

Why Salad Is Keeping You FAT

Salad, the ultimate diet food! The first sign someone is on a diet is their salad for lunch, definitely a healthier swap from the usual fast food or pizza, but is it going to help? Though the answer should be an obvious YES, it is a bit more complicated than that.

Salad is a beautiful thing, one of my favorites actually! The delicious blend of vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, dressing, and herbs can make salad the perfect choice for a healthy meal. I know, you're thinking 'so what's the problem here?' There are two major problems that arise from salad being a 'diet fail'.

The first major problem is turning this amazing powerhouse meal into a high fat and high calorie disaster! In order for a salad to be healthy and assist in weight loss, it needs to be loaded with veggies and the fat content needs to be LOW! The entire point of salad is to fill up on high fiber, high water content foods, but the average person goes out to lunch and comes back with this:

http://www.1familymeal.com/chicken-cobb-salad-with-buttermilk-chive-dressing/

 

 

This salad is loaded with pretty much every thing that makes salad UNHEALTHY! It contains numerous high fat foods, high cholesterol, loaded with oil and sodium and really, there are barely any veggies! Though the blog does not give calorie and fat content, I imagine this is easily over 1000 cals with majority of those calories coming from FAT! This is a very high fat food which will leave you sluggish all day and craving SUGAR or coffee to stay awake! Hold up, since when do I care about calories??? When they come from fat, that is when you need to be concerned! Remember, all you need is about 10% of your calories to come from fat! This type of 'meal' is not only a weight loss disaster, but it is also loaded with animal products which I would never recommend, let's leave our friends off the menu! I see this type of salad being eaten often by women who are fooled by the diet industry claiming a 'salad' is always a healthy choice! This is not any healthier than a Big Mac!
Let's create a healthy cobb salad with lots of goodies that will keep you feeling alive and energized all day:
Your base needs to be a blend of greens, any kind you like! Toppings should include a lovely row of chick peas, sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped celery, red onion, steamed baby potatoes (cooled), steamed corn (cooled), chopped mushrooms, and a row of peas! To dress it up, grab a whole lemon, juice it over the salad, sprinkle with your favorite herbs like dill and season to taste with pepper and garlic powder! Not only have you eliminated ALL animal products, but you have also cut out unnecessary saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol! You now can eat as much as you want and not worry about your waistline!

The other problem that arises with salad is NOT ENOUGH CALORIES! Say what????? It sounds confusing, but please just keep reading! As I mentioned above, the only time calories become a problem is when they come from fat, or sometimes protein. The key to eating a healthy meal, is sticking to the 80/10/10 macro-nutrient ratio, 80% carbs, 10% fat and 10% protein! This allows you to eat a substantial about of calories without additional weight gain or sugar cravings!
This is a typical salad people order at restaurants or fast food joints. Nothing appetizing here!!

Not only only is this salad BORING but it will leave you STARVING and looking for junk food all day long! There is not enough food to keep a grown adult fueled for even an hour, lol! Your salad should be loaded with plant food and enough calories to keep you energized all day long! When I see people eat this as their meal, I know they will be hungry immediately after and ultimately turn to high fat snack foods like cookies, chips, etc. Most will end up dousing this teeny tiny salad with a high fat dressing trying desperately to make it appetizing! This problem is easily fixed by making salad at home and bringing it with you to work! This allows you to make it big enough and full of the proper plant foods to get enough calories without the added fat and sodium! You really cannot find a salad at a restaurant that is big enough to fill you up, but also NOT loaded with fattening foods like eggs, chicken, oil and cream dressings. Below are examples of my salad creations that are made to be MEALS in a bowl!

Salad can be a healthy option for any meal as long as it is made with HEALTH in mind! Low calorie salads will leave you starving all day without enough fuel to keep your brain fuctiioning, and high fat salads will leave you sluggish, bloated, and craving sugar! Neither option is going to be a success, both will contribute to weigh gain! Here is how you can build a perfect salad to keep you feeling ALIVE and healthy all day long and on track with your weight loss goals!