Stressed out and skipping workouts = Disaster!

Today I received an email from one of my Slim & Strong gals, telling me that the past month was an emotional roller coaster but that she tried using exercise as a stress reliever. Sure enough, there were some mornings when she came in looking deflated, sad, and low on energy. But, she pushed through her workouts with focus and determination, moving aside whatever was on her mind, at least for the duration of her workout. She attended almost every session, even though I knew that on some mornings she sure would have preferred to just turn over in bed and sleep in (don’t we all sometimes…). In the end she realized that showing up for her workout and ultimately, for herself, kept her focused on what matters to her the most: her health, her fitness, her mental health, and to keep moving forward – beyond the issue she was dealing with. She said ” Signing up for boot camp definitely helped to keep me focused when I wasn’t always in the best frame of mind. I feel much stronger than a month ago and happy to have my strength back….” She improved in her strength greatly, dropped inches, body fat and gained muscle and scored some of the best improvements of the class.

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Another person who had signed up for the month went missing for a few sessions. When I checked in with her about her whereabouts she replied that she was dealing with a personal issue and needed some time to handle it. She chose to forgo self-care in the face of stress and stopped coming to the workouts.

Who do you think will feel better about herself at the end of the stressful period? I always find it interesting to see how people choose to handle stress. Some use working out as stress reliever (I include myself in that category. Had I not had my classes to teach during certain times, I don’t know what I would have done. Working out gives me the feeling of physical strength when my mental strength is a bit wobbly). Others consider working out an additional burden and chore that is too much to handle and give up taking care of themselves.

Isn’t it funny that during the times we need to take care of ourselves the most, we often choose to go for junk food, skip workouts, skip on sleep and handle the stress with booze, shopping, and other unhealthy behaviors?  Isn’t the most important thing we need during crazy times our health and sanity?

Next time, the stress hits the fan, ask yourself how you want to come out of it in the end: physically and emotionally stronger or lagging behind in your health, energy and strength? Crazy times never last long. They do pass and how you handle stress determines how you come out of it. So, what’s it going to be…?

See you in class!

Join our 3 Most Effective Fat Loss Programs

How do you feel about your body right now? If you’re happy – congrats! If not, time to take action and GET happy with our 3 super-effective customized programs you can do either ONLINE or in-person:

21-Day NutriBullet Detox

Starts Monday, June 22 – ONLINE

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Who is this for? You want to lose fat fast, get healthy, glowing skin, improved digestion, and can give up sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy and fruit for 3 weeks. You have a NutriBullet or Vitamix or other green smoothie blender.  

 This 3-week guided online program is designed to restore your health, drop body fat, and get you back to feeling like a superhero. You will be using the NutriBullet to create healthy and delicious detox shakes as meal replacements. You will learn how to put together detox meals and help your body release toxins and body fat.

Price: $99

Details and sign up here 

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23-Day Summer Body Challenge

Starts Monday, June 22 – ONLINE

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Who is this for? This program is for the person who has yo-yo dieted in the past and may have a sluggish or damaged metabolism. You want to lose body fat fast, learn how to make your workouts more effective, and want to change how you think about food and your body. 

This 23-Day guided online program gives you access to customized fat burning workouts and routines, teaches you how to burn body fat, build muscle definition, and eat for great skin, energy, and mood, while improving your relationship to your body and food.

Price: $99

Details and sign up here

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Slim & Strong

NYC’s most effective fat loss program 

Starts Monday, June 29

Who is this for? Slim & Strong is a 4-week program not for the uncommitted. Designed to give you a kickstart towards your ideal body, you commit to 12 indoor workouts with Ariane. Get your before and after measurements and pictures taken and learn everything you need to know to get slim and strong. Learn about fat loss eating, make new friends, and learn how fitness models get in killer shape.

Locations:

6.30am Complete Body & Spa, 301 E. 57th Street, NYC

6.30pm Stepping Out Studios, 37 W. 26th Street, NYC

Price: $350

Details and sign up here

Boot Camp Fitness Urlaub mit Ariane Hundt in New York

I’m excited to announce New York City’s Boot Camp Wellness Retreat for my German clients:

Haben Sie schon immer davon geträumt, in den Urlaub zu fahren und gesünder, fitter und schlanker zurückzukehren? 

Ariane Hundt, die Gründerin des wohl härtesten Trainingsprogramms New Yorks macht es Ihnen möglich.

August 23-28, 2015

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Verbringen Sie sechs Tage in New York City mit Ariane Hundt und ihrem Team, um in die beste Form Ihres Lebens zu kommen. Tägliche Trainingseinheiten vor einer wahrhaft einzigartigen Kulisse, der Skyline Manhattans, dazu gesunde Ernährung und jede Menge Sehenswürdigkeiten garantieren für eine einmaliges Erlebnisreise, die Ihr Leben verändern könnte.

In New York ist Zeit kostbar, die Redewendung „Time is Money“ trifft in keiner anderen Stadt dieser Welt besser zu. 

Deshalb hat Ariane Hundt, die in Deutschland geboren und aufgewachsen ist, das Brooklyn Bridge Trainingsprogramm für New Yorker entwickelt, die sich in kürzester Zeit in Topform bringen möchten. Jetzt können auch Sie sich von Ariane für sechs Tage betreuen lassen. Sie hilft Ihnen auch über diese Reise hinaus, gesünder und bewusster zu leben.

 

 

Während dieser Reise werden Trainingseinheiten mit Sehenswürdigkeiten kombiniert. Sie kehren nicht nur fitter und gesünder zurück, sondern erleben New York von seinen schönsten Seiten.

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Flughafentransfer Orientierung und Programmeinführung durch Ariane Hundt Spaziergang im Central Park Abendessen 

Nach dem Check-In geht es auch sofort los: Ariane Hundt wird Sie mit einer ersten Trainingseinheit, einer kleiner Orientierung und Spaziergang durch den Central Park am ersten Abend ins Programm einführen. Beenden Sie den ersten Tag und starten Ihre Erlebnisreise mit einem gesunden Abendessen im Hotel.

 

 

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Day 2: Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm: Starten Sie mit einer intensive Trainingseinheit mit Ariane Hundt im Central Park in den Tag. 

Trainingseinheit am Morgen Bestimmung des Körpergewichts, Körperfetts, Körpermaße Hypnose Workshop Brooklyn zu Fuß Trainingseinheit am Abend 

Ariane Hundt wird ein Programm basieren auf Ihr Gewicht, Körperfett und –maße erstellen. Anschließend gibt Ihnen Ariane Hundt im Ernährungskurs passende Tips und Tricks zum Thema Ernährung mit gesundem Frühstück im Hippodrome an der Avenue of the Americas. Tun Sie sich danach etwas Gutes für Seele und Geist während eines Hypnose-Workshops, in dem Sie u. a. lernen, wie Sie sich Ziele für die Zukunft setzen können. Am Nachmittag können Sie in Eigenregie Downtown New Yorks zu Fuß erkunden: oberhalb des Zusammenflusses von East und Hudson River befindet sich der Financial District mit der Wall Street, Ground Zero und Battery Park. Von hier haben Sie einen wunderschönen Blick auf die Freiheitstatue. Sie können anschließend die Brooklyn Bridge überqueren und Brooklyns.

Day 3: Auch der dritte Tag beginnt mit einer morgenlichen Trainingseinheit mit Ariane Hundt im Central Park. 

Trainingseinheit im Central Park am Morgen Freizeit Spaziergang im Highline Park Trainingseinheit am Abend 

Nach der Trainingseinheit am Morgen steht Ihnen der halbe Tag zur freien Verfügung, Zeit um mit Ihrem Hop on and off Sightseeing Busticket mehr von New York zu entdecken:

Im Norden befinden sich die ausgedehnten Parkanlagen des Central Parks. Über den Columbus Circle erreichen Sie die Upper West Side, die Nachbarschaft der Schönen und Reichen. Sie fahren am Lincoln Center und der weltberühmten Metropolitan Opera vorbei.

Entlang der eleganten Fifth Avenue, dann vorbei am Schauplatz vieler bekannter Theaterstücke – dem Broadway – sehen Sie Sehenswürdigkeiten wie das Empire State Buildling, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, bis hin zum Künstlerviertel Greenwich Village und den neuesten Park „High Line“, ein Abschnitt stillgelegter Bahngleise über den Straßen New Yorks im Meatpacking District. Sie Morning workout in Central Park.

Sollten es Zeit und Wetter erlauben, ist der Chelsea Market definitiv ein Kurzbesuch wert.

Am Abend spazieren Sie noch einmal durch den Highline Park und verbrennen danach zahlreiche Kalorien während einer Trainingseinheit mit Ariane Hundt am Westside Highway Path.

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Day 4: Sie können die Ziellinie bereits leicht erkennen. 

Brooklyn Bridge Trainingseinheit am Morgen Freizeit Central Park Trainingseinheit am Nachmittag Fähre bei Nacht 

Die zweite Hälfte Ihrer Erlebnisreise wird mit einem morgenlichen Trainingseinheit an der Brooklyn Bridge eingeläutet. Danach werden sie mit Freizeit belohnt. Sie können diese Zeit nutzen, um die Shoppingmeilen New Yorks zu erkunden oder sich mit dem Fahrrad durch den Central Park auf Entdeckerreisen gehen. Am Nachmittag treffen Sie sich wieder mit Ariane Hundt im Central Park und treiben Ihren Stoffwechsel während einer Trainingseinheit an. Eine Fahrt mit der Fähre bei Nacht rundet Ihren vierten Tag perfekt ab. Dabei sehen Sie die Wolkenkratzer Manhattans sowie die Freiheitsstatue bei Dunkelheit – ein garantiert unvergessliches Erlebnis.

 

 

 

 

Day 5: Am fünften Tag Ihrer Reise setzen Sie unzählige Endorphine frei. 

Spin Class Wellness Spa Mittagessen Yogakurs 

In einer sogenannten „Indoor Spin Class“ fahren Sie zu inspirierender Musik 20 bis 25 Kilometer durch unterschiedliches Terrain auf einem Indoor-Fahrrad und gewinnen an Beinkraft und Ausdauer.

Entspannen Sie sich danach während einer 15-minütigen Mini-Massage in einer der schönsten Beauty- und Wellness Spas New Yorks mit anschließend gesundem Mittagessen. Der Nachmittag steht Ihnen zur freien Verfügung. Ein Besuch eines Yogakurses beendet diesen vorletzen Tag.

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Day 6: Sie haben es geschafft. 

Trainingseinheit am Morgen Abschiedszeremonie Gruppenfoto Freizeit Abreise 

Nach einer letzten Trainingseinheit auf der Brooklyn Bridge wird Ariane Hundt Sie heute, am letzten Tag Ihrer Reise, wiegen und die Erfolge Ihrer vergangen Tage anhand Körpermaße und –fett feststellen.

Während einer Abschiedszeremonie feiern wir den erfolgreichsten Teilnehmer, sechs erfolgreiche Tage zu einem gesünderen, fitteren und besseren Leben und machen ein Gruppenfoto zum Andenken. Die Zeit vor dem Transfer zum Flughafen steht Ihnen zur freien Verfügung, um noch Souvenirs für Familie und Freunde zuhause zu besorgen oder den „Top of the Rock“ zu besuchen. Nachdem Sie ausgecheckt haben, wartet Ihr Flughafenshuttle auf Sie, das Sie zum Flughafen bringt.

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 Eingeschlossene Leistungen pro Person Flughafentransfer bei Ankunft und Abreise am/vom JFK Flughafen5 Übernachtungen mit FrühstückBrooklyn Bridge Boot Camp DVD, Wasserflasche, T-Shirt und Tasche

Programmeinführung mit Ariane Hundt

Individuelle Bestimmung Ihres Gewichts, Maße und Körperfett

MTA 7-tägige U-Bahnkarte für unbegrenzte Fahrten im Verkehrsbund Manhattan

8x Trainingseinheiten mit Ariane Hundt

1x Spin Class mit Ariane Hundt

1x Yogakursmit Ariane Hundt

Kurs zum Thema „Ernährung“ und Frühstück mit Ariane Hundt

Gruppenbild und Abschiedsfeier

Stadtrundfahrt im Hop on/off Bus

Eintritt zur Aussichtsplattform “Top of the Rock“

FULL-DAY BIKE RENTAL+MY WAY PASS

Fahrt mit der Fähre um die Freiheitsstatue (kein Halt) bei Nacht

Nicht eingeschlossen: Flug und Mahlzeiten Teilnehmeranforderungen:Jeder Teilnehmer muss in der Lage sein, min. 8 Minutendauerhaft laufen zu können

Vorlage eines ärztliches Attests

Preis: $1,899 basierend auf Einzelbelegung und $1,239 basierend auf Doppelbelegung

4-Sterne Hotel Martha Washington, 29th Sreet

Plätze sind nur  limitiert verfügbar

Anfragen bitte an info@brooklynbridgebootcamp.com

 

Get glowing & slow aging with The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Here’s a blog post I wrote for Fabletics, Kate Hudson’s brand new line of active wear. Want a new outfit for only $25? Use this link: 

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Have you ever woken up feeling puffy, bloated and lethargic?

Have you ever had to deal with breakouts or random headaches? How about joint pain and digestive issues? All these can be signs of inflammation. When our inflammatory response is healthy, our white blood cells protect us from disease. However, when we go into a chronically inflamed state, our defenses can break down and cause disease. Chronic inflammation is the root of most disease, including heart disease, pre-mature aging, Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

The good news is we can take control of our diet to ensure an anti-inflammatory response and a glowing and healthy body.

Here are the top 5 foods that drive inflammation in your body:

Foods high in sugar and white flour: Pastries, wheat, yeast, pasta, white rice, white bread, and sugar create blood sugar spikes, which in turn create inflammation in your body. Typical symptoms are puffiness, achy joints, sluggish digestion, and water retention.

Milk and animal fat products (in large amounts): Make sure you choose organic and free-range chicken and meat. These animals are grass-fed, not grain-fed, which provides you with a larger amounts of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-6 fatty acids: These come mostly from vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil, peanut oil, soy oil, cottonseed oil and safflower oil. A high ratio of Omega-6 versus Omega-3 fatty acids makes your body more inflamed. Use olive oil instead and take fish oil supplements.

Fructose: Many refined foods contain fructose (high-fructose corn syrup, for example) and these drive your insulin levels up. This can lead to insulin resistance and chronic inflammation.

Overcooking foods: Whether it is oil heated too high or eggs overcooked or foods containing trans-fats – they all have a pro-inflammatory effect on your body.

 

Here are the top 8 anti-inflammatory foods:

Turmeric, ginger, garlic and rosemary contain potent anti-inflammatory power. Add turmeric to your curry dishes, make ginger tea from a fresh ginger root and add rosemary to your roasted sweet potatoes. Add garlic to your stir-fries or even add a clove into your smoothies.

Omega-3-fatty acids: Fatty cold-water fish, such as herring, mackerel, salmon (ideally wild-caught) lower inflammatory markers and boost your HDL, which is the healthy cholesterol, while lowering LDL (the inflammatory type).

Blueberries: High in antioxidants and lower in sugar than most fruits.

Tea: Matcha tea (powder) and green tea are loaded with antioxidants.

Lots of green veggies: Eating lots of greens ensures you are supplying your body with fiber to keep your blood sugar balanced, as well as Vitamin C (a potent antioxidant and cell protector) and enzymes to ensure proper digestion and nutrient assimilation (if you’re nutrient deprived your body’s anti-inflammatory powers are suppressed).

 

Here are my favorite roasted veggie dishes that are quick and easy to make:

Mixed roasted veggies

Best substitute for French Fries? Roasted Green Beans

Roasted Fennel 

Remember that every meal sends your body a new message, so if you eat a pro-inflammatory food, you can always balance your body with a nutritious meal.

 

Matcha Green Tea Magic

I have a new smoothie addiction. For months I was hooked on the closest thing you’ll ever get to a Strawberry Milkshake! This concoction is made with frozen cauliflower, butternut squash, protein powder and 2 strawberries with water. Totally does the trick when you want something creamy, rich and filling.

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Recently I discovered Match Green Tea Powder and the many smoothies, desserts and foods you can create around this Superfood. Matcha has for centuries been considered the most special of the green teas. Zen Buddhist monks used to drink it to get into deeper meditative states, it has been consumed to boost health, longevity, and boost antioxidant activity. You can prepare match tea by dissolving the powder with a little bit of hot water, stir it until it’s smooth and then add the rest of the hot (not boiling) water. Match tea utilizes only the young green leaves and contains more antioxidants (especially ECGC) than most Superfoods. It will energize you without crashing you, boost your digestion, can lower cholesterol, and relaxes your mind. It’s also shown to have some fat burning effects if consumed on a regular basis, along with a clean diet.

Here are two of my favorite ways to enjoy Matcha Green Tea Powder (by the way, this Superfood will cost you a bit…):

Matcha Green Tea Protein Smoothie

  • 1 Cup Spinach
  • 1 scoop Protein Powder (my favorite right now is Orgain Vegan Vanilla)
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1 teaspoon Matcha Green Tea Powder
  • Water
  • Almond Milk (unsweetened vanilla)

Matcha Green Tea Pudding

Use the recipe above, but less liquid and add a bit of frozen cauliflower, which will make the consistency creamy and rich.

Enjoy and get younger with every sip :-)

Ready for Summer?

Summer Body Challenge
23 Days To Show Off YOU!
 

May 4 – May 26, 2015

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Is your body ready for Summer? Get in swimsuit shape by Memorial Day with our Summer Body Challenge. Access to customized fat burning workouts and routines, learn how to burn body fat, build muscle definition, and eat for great skin, energy, and mood.

Follow the Summer Body Plan and drop an easy 10-15 lbs!

Screen Shot 2015-04-29 at 12.50.31 PMWhat you get:

  • A detailed workout and nutrition plan for each of the 3 weeks (outlining daily workouts, specific nutrition instructions, recipes, motivation, and supplement suggestions to kickstart fat burning.)
  • Set up with a super team mate for accountability
  • Nutrition Workshop Video Tutorial
  • Nutrition Handout with specific fat loss instructions
  • Regular email check-ins by Ariane

 

Your commitment:

  • Work out at least 5 hours a week
  • Schedule your weekly workouts ahead of time
  • Send Ariane at least one food diary for review
  • Check in with your team mate at least once a week

Challenge Details

  • Sign up by May 2nd

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Price:

Option 1 – Online participation only: $99

Option 2 – Program plus 8 Outdoor Classes: $150

Option 3 – Program plus 8 Indoor Classes: $250

Option 4 Add-On:  Individualized before and after measurements (weight, body fat, inches), nutrition calculations (protein, carbs, fat requirements based on your body fat%, lean mass, target goals): $50

REGISTER NOW!

 Notes:

  • The workouts recommended in the weekly plans can be completed in the gym with machines or at home without any equipment or just dumbbells.
  • Indoor and outdoor classes are good for 28 days starting May 4th
Photos by rebloggy.com and imbarcade.com

Does your happiness depend on what your body looks?

Many women who sign up for my classes and programs feel quite bad about their bodies. They have nothing but negative comments and emotions about the way they look and feel. Sure, it’s a powerful motivator for change, but they attach their happiness to the perfect body and don’t allow themselves to feel good until they look better. While looking good and feeling good work together, what has to come first is the appreciation for how fantastic your body already is and what it does for you on a daily basis, regardless of what the scale says.

Why would you drag yourself around feeling bad, feeling regretful over past bad food choices, the fact you just didn’t make enough time for yourself to exercise, sleep enough or rest? Every second of that feeling is a wasted second. Your body is very forgiving, regardless of what you may have done to it in the past. So, look up, take action with every meal, every workout and stop putting off feeling great. Decide right now that you are happy, healthy, and fit. If you hold that believe about yourself, you will treat yourself accordingly. Your food choices will be healthier, your workouts will become more rewarding and motivating, and you will look at yourself in the mirror, seeing an attractive, fit, healthy and happy person.

Treat your body well NOW – don’t wait – and it will reward you with energy, health, youthfulness and strength.

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Goals: Are your goals making you slim or frustrated?

Did you start off 2015 with setting goals? Did you decide to lose weight or get healthy or fitter?

How close are you to having achieved your goals?

goalsGoals are a crucial part of success, whether in your job, in your relationship or your fitness. You have to decide what you want first and then work towards it. Setting goals isn’t always easy because often we know what we DON’T want, but aren’t clear about what our ideal life looks like. I constantly set goals. Yearly goals and monthly goals and I look back at them to see how far I’ve come. Or, sometimes other opportunities pop up in the process and my direction changes. The Notes app on my phone contains my goals from the past several months and I love looking back to see what was important to me in the past. It’s motivation to see how much I’ve achieved and interesting to see what I wanted at a certain point in my life. It’s like my diary in a way. It holds me accountable and reminds me to live my life with purpose, that I’m in charge of directing my life.

In my Slim & Strong program I ask my participants to set goals at the start of every month. They share them with their team mates and me. At the end of the month I ask them to re-evaluate how far they’ve come. There are some participants who look at their goals and say “I’ve completely failed this month. Life got so busy, I didn’t have time, I got sick…”. While that may be true, it’s not a constructive way of evaluating your goals. The idea is that you learn from your past month about what worked and what didn’t. What helped you be fitter, healthier and feel better and what got in the way? Did you realize that you need more sleep? Did you learn that alcohol is really impacting your appetite and mood the next day? Did you learn that you feel so much better when you cut out diary and grains?  If you see it as pass or fail, then you haven’t learned anything about yourself. You didn’t learn how the actions you took lead to a certain outcome.

Take for example, one of my boot campers, who took the time to thoroughly analyze her goals at the end of the March session. She emailed me back with a thorough look at what worked and what didn’t. She sure learned a lot:

“Ariane! I’m really proud of myself; not only did I accomplish my goals but I was surprised to find out how relatively easy it was to do so with a bit of planning and dedication.  My progress on my goals below..

Thanks so much for a really wonderful month. You’re a great trainer, and your energy and wisdom are truly motivating. I’ll be seeing you again soon for more butt kicking! 

1. What is your exercise goal for the next 4 weeks?

1.  Come to all 3 Slim & Strong classes, every week, no excuses. - DID IT! AND looked forward to it. 

2. Add running and stretching back into my routine, at least once a week/weekend. DID IT! I even got my runs in while traveling (with my old running buddy while in DC). Even signed up for a race in April! 

3. I want to be able to do 20 good-form push-ups by the end of the 4 weeks. – Almost! I think I can do around 10 now.

 

2. What 3 steps will you take nutritionally to put your body into fat burning mode?

1. Continue clean eating (Iv’e been doing no sugar/simple carbs/alcohol), but add more protein (and maybe less fat?) to my meals to keep things balanced, for the next 4 weeks, even on the weekends. Thank the goddess for the cheat meals!  - This became normal for me and (surprisingly!) wasn’t a struggle to achieve. My cravings disappeared and I began to eat for energy/nutrition and by listening to my body. Being in social settings was hard because there is something nice about sharing meals and drinks with friends. I allowed myself to cheat, but in much smaller ways. I would just eat before and bring my own snacks. Allowing myself to have one cocktail or share one appetizer would satisfy my desire for communal sharing, but wouldn’t totally derail my habits and goal. 

2. I want to diversify the protein that I eat (I’m chicken, chicken, chicken, eggs, chicken.) DID IT! Added fish, turkey, and a Vega shakes.

3. Stop eating so late. My dinner is usually after 8pm. This one was a bit harder for me, but I did get all my eating done before 9.

 

3. What 3 behaviors help you succeed in reaching your goals?

1. Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep by going to bed earlier. This will be one of my most challenging goals, but I think if I can get my ass in bed before 11 it will help. This happened a bit more easily/naturally than I anticipated. Actually being tired made the bed a place I wanted to go! Waking up in the morning became much easier, which was unexpected but very welcomed. I’m a snooze for an hour type of person. 

2. Keep up my habit of Sunday shopping/weekly meal prep+food logging. Meal shopping and prep happened every Sunday. I spent 3-5 hours of shopping, prepping, cooking, etc. (even on the weekends when traveling!) and it made being prepared during the week so much easier. Now that I know what works, I think I can break up this big Sunday push into smaller “chores” throughout the week. 

3. Cut down TV/movie watching. DID IT! Had less time to after adding working out and meal planning to my free time activities. 

 

There were some actions she implemented without difficulties and others that didn’t work out so well. The items that come easily will likely become part of her routine without effort. The challenging behaviors will either need to be re-evaluated or changed. For example, eating before 8pm may not be a goal that is even important to pursue because she may find that eating right before bed actually works for her. Or, the challenge of eating in social settings may be dealt with by making the social meals cheat meals twice a week – without the guilt. Or, she may learn that cheat meals on intense workout days aren’t having such a negative impact because she worked the carbs off afterwards.

The lesson in goal setting and evaluation is that you need to find what works for YOU. If you set goals and try to be 100% perfect for a month, then you’re missing the lesson. If you set goals for a month and didn’t achieve them, is that reason to stop trying? If your last relationship didn’t work out, is that reason to give up on finding someone who matches? You get my point. Goals need to flow with your life. Your life changes day by day, so stay flexible in your goals and adapt to your life’s needs.

Ready to set goals for APRIL? Here’s how:

Snack on this: Killer Bread!

One of the most common questions I get is: What should I snack on? I’m not a fan of snacking on nuts or string cheese or bars because they add up in calories and fat grams so much quicker than if you were to eat a real meal that satisfies you and fills you up. If you find yourself reaching into the bag of nuts over and over again, you may down over 1,000 calories without even realizing it. Most bars on the market are loaded with sugar, artificial sweeteners and ingredients and soy – none of which benefit you if you want to lose weight.

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My response is always: Eat real food. Keep some leftovers from lunch or dinner and eat it in-between meals. Or, make a small sandwich. There’s a new great bread on the market, called Dave’s Killer Bread and it’s loaded with fiber, protein and is free of any sweeteners or artificial ingredients. It’s grainy and filling and satisfying and when I received samples a few weeks ago, I topped it with various foods: Hard-boiled eggs, roasted red pepper hummus, guacamole, and slices of turkey. I also love it with my breakfast eggs and with a hot soup. One slice does the trick, gives you less than 15g of carbs, several grams of fiber and about 5g of protein. Plus, it fills you up, is organic and non-GMO.

 

 

 

 

 

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My favorite type is the Powerseed as it’s lowest in sugar, has 6grams of fiber and 5g of protein per slice.

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You can find it at your local Fairway in NYC and make your own. Let’s see what’s on your bread!

For inspiration, check out their Instagram page. Loads of yummy ideas.

 

 

 

I haven’t lost any weight and I’m feeling really defeated…

This is the email I received over the weekend from one of my Slim & Strong participants. She started two weeks ago and weighed herself for the first time at the gym. She was shocked she hasn’t lost any weight. The easy answer would be to say: “Work out harder, more often and eat less carbs,” but that advice would be pretty stupid and one-sided.

Let’s first figure out a few reasons why she may not have lost weight and then figure out what to do about it.

When you sign up for a program that promises to kickstart your fat loss and teach you what you need to know about eating clean, building muscle, strength and creating the body you want, you sure expect results. And you should see results, right? So, let’s imagine this. You sign up and work out 3x a week in my class, you go to the gym once a week to lift weights, you eat a fairly clean diet. You weigh yourself after the first week and you dropped a few pounds. You’re amped and you continue the same schedule. After the second week  you feel so much more energy. Your digestion is finally regular, your breakouts in your face are disappearing, your stomach is flatter and you are kicking some serious butt in your workouts. You sleep better and your pants are fitting so much better. You step on the scale and all of a sudden you’re back to your starting weight. Sure enough, you’ll scratch your head and wonder what is going on. The scale says zero change. You immediately feel defeated, wonder why you’re even bothering dieting and exercising and why life is so unfair. You resolve that this program can’t be working and you decide to calm your disappointed self with a couple cookies and feel even worse.

Does this sound familiar? I see this all too often and what happens at this point will either make you go on stronger than ever and more determined than before, or it will stop you right then and there and you resolve to give up and just stick to doing nothing like before.

Why hasn’t she lost weight? Here are a few possible reasons:

She may be eating too many starches, sugar or alcohol: These put your body into fat storage mode. You can’t burn body fat as long as you overeat them, even with the most rigorous workout schedule.

She may have gained muscle: Muscle weighs more than fat but takes up less space. If your clothes fit better and you lost inches, if your body fat has dropped, you have lost body fat. If your weight stays the same, that simply means you gained muscle. That’s great news! Muscle speeds up your metabolism and makes you smaller. Yes, read that again. Muscle makes you smaller. Women who lift weights, have faster metabolisms, have smaller bodies, leaner body fat, and can eat a lot more than those that only do cardio and lose muscle in the process (we call them skinny fat women because their body fat can be 30%, despite their low weight).

She may be retaining water: Many women can gain up to 5-6 lbs in the days before their period. That’s not fat, however. That’s water retention. This is made only worse by stress and a high carb intake. If you compare your weight in the days before  your menstruation to a week afterwards, you’ll see for yourself.

She’s constipated: At any given time, you can hold several pounds of waste in your colon. If you’re not regular and constipated, that can certainly add to your weight. Even worse, it can make you toxic, so always address that issue with more veggies, lots of water, fish oil and exercise. My favorite way of speeding things up is a slice of Mestemacher Bread. With 8grams of soluble fiber, that bread will have a positive effect on anything not moving.

She’s stressed: Did you know that when your body goes into a state of stress (either physically or emotionally), your sympathetic nervous system kicks in. That means you’re in a fight-or-flight response and your body ensures you’re ready for action. It pumps out adrenaline, it releases cortisol and both together make the action of insulin less effective. They also make your body go into fat storage mode if you’re stressed for longer periods without down-time.

As you can see, there are several possibilities. Now that you know the factors by which your weight can be affected, let’s move on to what really matters.

I don’t remember the last time I weighed myself. I just don’t. It’s unimportant unless I want to measure my body fat and plug it into the body fat measurement machine. I know I’m heavy because i’m muscular. I know whether i’ve put on a few pounds by how my clothes fit, by my energy and simply by looking at my body. I know when I ate too many carbs, too little protein, when I didn’t sleep enough or when I didn’t drink enough water. I expect my body to fluctuate based on hormones, stress, seasons, emotional triggers, and my schedule. My body is not the same weight every day, I know that for sure and that’s why I won’t let a number on the scale tell me anything. I let my body talk to me and I adjust accordingly.

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Let me ask you a question: If I told you that within 2 weeks your stomach will be flatter, your pants fitting so much better, especially around your waist, your breakouts gone, your sleep solid and refreshing, your energy more balanced though out the day, your cravings gone, your mood more balanced, your endurance and strength greatly improved, your relationship to yourself a lot more relaxed, you’d get excited, right? But, would you still be as excited if it told you that your weight would still be the same? What would you choose: All the above great improvements and no weight loss OR none of the above improvements but 10 lbs less on the scale…? If you measure your progress by ONE number, you are in severe dieting mode. Dieting is a short-term approach to getting quick results and then losing it only to go back to where you started, so isn’t it time you focus on what really matters?

 

I wished more of my clients would develop a close relationship with their bodies. One where they trust their body instead of ignoring everything good that is happening and then stepping on the scale and letting that stupid number destroy everything good they did for themselves.

So, ladies, here’s my suggestion. I measure your body fat and inches at the start and end of Slim & Strong and those are the only numbers you should care about. I have to weigh you to calculate your body fat % and nutrient needs, but not because I care how many pounds you are. You’re a heck of a lot more than a number and it is my wish that you come to expect that your body will not be the same every day and start to see that as normal. Just as long as you stay in touch with what your body needs and see exercise, rest and clean eating as a life-long process, you will always feel good in your skin, show that feeling on the outside and radiate health, energy and that glow that says: “I love my body!”.