Far too often fitness is presented as complicated and confusing.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.  

Being fit comes from living the following simple everyday practices:

1. Throw out your big dinner plates. Using small plates at home effortlessly reduces calorie intake and promotes weight loss.
2. Make exercise a regular part of your life. Create a network of accountability with workout partners or by working with me, your local fitness expert.
3. Know what you want to accomplish. Visualize the end result of your hard work.
4. Believe in you. I know that you CAN accomplish your goals.
5. Don't be a wimp. Keep the intensity high during your workouts. Remember that you don't want to kill time; you want to burn calories and strengthen your body through intense exercise.
6. Drink water all day long.
7. Know when to ask for help.  
8. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training into your routine by doing bursts of high intensity rather than exercising at a single steady pace.
9. Maintain your metabolism by eating a healthy snack or meal every three hours. This food should be unprocessed, low in fat and high in fiber.
10. Forget will-power; it's about WANT-power. How badly do you want it.
11. Never eat processed foods. These items are high in empty calories and contain a plethora of chemicals that are harmful to your health.
12. Fat contains twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and protein, so limit the amount of it that you eat. Fill your diet with lean protein and carbohydrates from leafy plants and whole grains.
13. It's OK to be a skeptic. Watch out for products that are labeled as ‘health food'. Always read the nutrition labels and make your own informed opinion.
14. Talk is cheap. Act now and get the job done.
15. Exercise with people that are in better shape than you. This will encourage you to push your limits.
16. Never indulge in negative self-talk.
17. Don't drink calories.
18. Pay attention to everything that you eat.
19. Keep consistent. Exercise at least three or four times each week.
20. Expect more from yourself.
21. Never eat High Fructose Corn Syrup. It spikes your blood sugar levels and encourages your body to store fat.
22. Eat plenty of whole plant foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are filled with fiber and antioxidants, great for good health and weight loss.
23. Do your cardiovascular exercise after weight training to encourage more fat burn. Your stored sugars will be depleted during the weight training then your body will rely on fat stores to get you through the cardio workout.
24. Breakfast should be a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat to get your metabolism going strong.
25. If you know that you deserve better...then go get it.
26. Challenge yourself during each workout. Try something new and exciting.
27. Set specific, measurable goals and track your progress.
28. Even if they are whole grain, eat carbohydrates sparingly. Carbohydrates are quickly stored as fat.
29. Put an end to your struggle to get and stay fit. Call or email me today to get started on a proven fitness program that will change your life and body forever.

Print this list and place it somewhere that you'll see every day.

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Spring has arrived, bringing with it the promise of warm weather to come.

You know what happens when the weather warms up?

People put on bathing suits.

Are you ready to bare it all on the beach? If not, no worries, there is still time. Follow these 12 steps to get your abs beach ready:

Step One: Do Some Burpees. Can burpees really help flatten your abs? You bet. Incorporate a few minutes of burpees into your workouts to burn extra calories and tighten your core.

Here's how to do a burpee: 1) Stand with feet shoulder width apart. 2) Drop to a squat with your hands on the ground. 3) Kick feet back while lowering into a push-up. 4) Return to squat position. 5) Jump up with arms overhead.

Step Two: Reduce Sodium. Did you know that salt causes water retention? Puffy skin is not going to make your abs look great in a bathing suit!

Take the time to pay attention to the sodium content of your food. Limit salt intake by not eating packaged foods and by putting down the salt shaker. Your six pack will thank you.

Step Three: Pick Up A Medicine Ball. Challenging the muscles of your core with resistance is a proven way to create a tighter midsection. The medicine ball is a wonderful tool to provide such resistance.

Do a sit-up holding a medicine ball at your chest then throw it to a partner as you raise your chest toward your knees; or hold a medicine ball with arms straight up in the air as you do crunches.

Step Four: Load Up On Fiber. Wonder how fiber could help you shed pounds and look great on the beach? It's actually quite simple.

High fiber foods are nutrient dense and low in calories. This means that you'll feel full from fewer calories, encouraging weight loss. Try these high fiber favorites: spinach, raspberries, pear (with skin), artichoke, peas, apples (with skin), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and carrots. Check out the high-fiber recipe for pasta salad below.

Step Five: Crank Out Some V-Sits. One of the most problematic areas for women, when it comes to baring it all in a bathing suit, are the sides of your waist, or obliques. This is partly because the sides of your abs are not challenged with traditional crunches and sit-ups.

Enter the oblique V-Sits. Target that problematic, muffin-top area with this effective move. 1) Lie on your side with legs straight and hands behind your head. 2) Raise your arms and legs simultaneously, while exhaling and squeezing your obliques. 3) Repeat on the other side.

Step Six: Eat Lots Of Lean Protein. Don't be afraid to eat when you are on the get-great-abs-quickly plan. It is really important that you are nourishing your body with quality, lean protein in order to develop that six-pack.

Lean protein helps support muscle growth while controlling blood sugar – all important factors when it come to washboard abs. Good sources of protein include: chicken breast, ground turkey, egg whites, and grilled fish.

Step Seven: Do Some Hanging Leg Raises. Now it's time to target your lower abs, which are also a problem area for most. Traditional crunches and sit-ups neglect to strengthen and tighten the lower part of your abs, so a focused effort is required.

Hanging Leg Raises are one of the most effective ways to strengthen your abdominals. 1) Hang from pull-up bar with legs fully extended. 2) Exhale and drive your knees up toward your chest. 3) Inhale as you slowly lower your legs back down.

Step Eight: Stop Eating Sugar. If you only did this step, and skipped all the rest, your abs would look significantly flatter by summer. I can't emphasize enough how quickly sugar will cover your hard earned stomach muscles with a soft layer of fat.

Yes, sugar tastes good, but indulging in it causes your body to store layers of fat. Enjoy fresh fruit, rather than refined sugar. Once you stop eating sugar your body will no longer crave it, so don't give in to the initial cravings.

Step Nine: Do Some Mountain Climbers. Here's an exercise that is intensely cardiovascular while also working your core. Add these to your routine to really whittle down your waistline.

Here's how to do a Mountain Climber: 1) Get into push-up position. 2) Exhale as you alternately drive your knees in toward your chest, keeping your back flat.

Step Ten: Pass On The Grains. Sure, whole grains are being touted as essential to a healthy diet, but the truth is that you'll do just fine without them for a while. Even the heartiest wholegrain bread will encourage fat storage, so put down the breadbasket as you prepare for beach season.

Grains are full of insulin-spiking carbohydrates - the perfect combination for fattening you up. Learn to love grain-free meals that center around lean meats and vegetables.

Step Eleven: Do Some Sprints. High intensity bursts of cardio are a proven way to burn away layers of fat, so incorporate sprints into your exercise routine. If you haven't run for a while, take it easy as you start, and gradually increase the intensity of your sprints.

Run 60-90 second sprints in between resistance training sets to really kick your fat burning mechanism into high gear.

Step Twelve: Start A Professional Fitness Program. You wouldn't try to file corporate tax returns without the assistance of your CPA, so why would you attempt to transform your body without the help of a professional? I'm here to get you into your ideal, fit body in the shortest amount of time possible. It's what I do, and I'm good at it.

Contact me about my tummy flattening programs that will get you those washboard abs that you're wishing for. Call or email today to get started.

Start the new year off with this easy yet effective fitness habit, something that I can almost guarantee you’re not doing. By making this small change to your daily routine you’ll quickly find those unwanted pounds coming off quickly and easily.

***Warning: This fitness habit is going to sound so easy that you may be inclined to simply dismiss it. My advice is to try it out before writing it off as too easy.***

The simple fitness habit that you’re not doing is to drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water daily.

Now I know that sounds boring but take a moment to calculate your water intake over the past few days. Did you even get close to the minimum of 64 ounces? Really, for optimal fat loss, you want to be drinking closer to a gallon of water each day.

Why is water such a big deal? Here are 3 serious reasons why drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day will help you drop pounds and achieve a stunning transformation…

#1) Water Helps Fat Metabolism in the Liver

When it comes down to the technical process of losing fat, your liver is where the action is. The key to having a highly functional liver, one that quickly removes metabolic waste and built up toxins, is to be properly hydrated by drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of water each day.

Your liver is a filter for your body. When you aren’t drinking enough water, your liver accumulates a buildup of waste product that slows the process of fat metabolism down.

#2) Water Helps Balance Hormones

Without getting too technical about the science of fat loss, it’s important that you understand that your hormones play an important role in your body’s ability to lose fat. When your body enters a state of dehydration, your organ and digestive functions are compromised, which in turn negatively impacts hormonal balance.

This stress, brought on by dehydration, impacts your adrenal glands, signaling the need for an increase in cortisol, which encourages your body to begin storing fat, rather than burning it.

#3) Water Reduces Calorie Intake

By drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of water daily, your desire for high calorie, sugary drinks like soda and high fructose juices will diminish. This decrease in fattening calories really adds up!

In addition to weight loss, drinking water has an infinite number of benefits – including improved skin complexion, boosted immune system, cleansing toxins out of the body, etc.

While it’s important to drink plenty of water in general, be sure you’re increasing your amount before and after your workouts. The more you sweat, the more water you lose, and it’s important to replace that lost water to avoid dehydration.

Does this make sense? Remember: Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water each day.

I hope that you find this simple fitness habit to be helpful in your quest for a new and improved you in 2020! Remember that participating in a challenging and consistent exercise program is absolutely vital when it comes to getting into great shape.

I’m here to help you on your fitness journey. Call or email me today to get started!

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