Cool Summer Activities to Beat the Heat

Toronto has been HOT! The sun, humidity and lack of rain has made many people feel sluggish, and not exactly pumped for a sweaty workout. If you're looking for summer alternatives to exercises that won't leave you feeling (and looking) like a raisin. Try these:

Three Summer Workouts to Stay Cool

1. Public Pools

In Toronto, outdoor public pools are free, and when it's extremely hot they are open until 11pm. Swimming is a fantastic full body workout that combines cardio and strength. A swim is a great way to cool down, and with the extended hours, a dip in the pool after work or even before bed is a cool way to fit in activity this summer.

2. Evening Workouts

When the sun goes down cycling, walking, jogging and even yoga are exercises that can be safely performed in the summer. Doing anything physical in the late morning or afternoon is not recommended. Not only is that the hottest time of the day, but it's also when the sun's UV rays are at their most dangerous levels. Try and evening workout to unwind and work off the stress from the day.

3. Classes

Maybe it's time to try out a class in an air conditioned studio. Even if it is only once a week dancing, martial arts, yoga and fitness classes are an effective way to beat the heat and achieve fitness goals. This also offers the opportunity to try something new, that has always been on the, "to-do" list.

Always remember to stay hydrated and stop exercising if you feel faint or nauseated.

Stay Cool!

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How to Eat for Weight Loss Success

Eating for weight loss success is more than just consuming less calories than you burn each day. Every nutrient should count towards the health benefits that are received, and should fuel every workout.

Three Tips to Eat for Weight Loss Success

1. Plan your Meals

It's amazing how easy it is to eat healthier if you have a plan. This is very simple to organize. Just think about what you will eat the day before and purchase ingredients in advance. Think about the times that you will eat your meals, and make sure that they are spaced out well enough so that hunger doesn't strike too early. When you're sticking to a plan, you are less likely to deviate from the diet.

Last week I didn't plan my day and found it very challenging to stick within my dietary guidelines. I ended up eating too much sodium, from having to resort to frozen food, and paying too much money for a salad that I could have made myself! Planning really works!

2. Alternate High and Low Carbs

Personally, I like to alternate high and low carbohydrate meals. I eat carbs when I'm going to be more active and lower my carbs if it's a lazy day, or I know I'll be dining out, or going to the movies (and eating junk food) later on. Carbohydrate reduction (not elimination!) is necessary for weight loss success.

Why? Carbohydrates are always underestimated. Carbs are in almost everything; milk, beans, fruit, vegetables etc. If a dieter is only counting carbs in the bread and whole grains that are consumed, the meal plan will have more than originally estimated.

3. Cut Back on Beverages

Any drinks with sugar, cream, or fruit is going to contribute to the overall caloric intake. Even diet drinks that have been artificially sweetened will cause a dieter to overeat. This is due to the sweetener telling the brain that it is going to have something sugary when it is not. Eventually the brain says, "Hey, where's that sugar you promised me?" and that's when a sugar craving kicks in.

It's incredible how less often you will crave junk and sugary food when you haven't been eating it. Fried, fatty and sugary foods react in the body like an addiction. The more you have the more you want.

Use these tips to achieve weight loss success through nutrition.

Eat Healthy!

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Motivational Message

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate

the mind on the present moment."
-Buddha

"Your own motivation in life is what keeps you going and excites you to live. Having a dream and a true passion to do what you love is what living is all about. Remember this, and forever be happy."
-Unknown

"The most expensive piece of real estate is the six inches between your right and left ear. It’s what you create in that area that determines your wealth. We are only really limited by our mind."
-Dolf de Roos

"The secret to productive goal setting is in establishing clearly defined goals, writing them down and then focusing on them several times a day with words, pictures and emotions as if we've already achieved them."
-Denis Waitley

"Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else."
-Les Brown

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Newtopia - Review Part 2

I had the second session with my coach at Newtopia. This session was far more in depth than the first, and it was quite impressive!

My coach asked me to fill out the food log in my Newtopia account. Together, we went through all of the food categories (including flavor enhancers and luxuries) and determined how well my nutrition habits fall within their recommendations.

For each food group, I have been assigned an amount of servings based on my goals, and weight. The servings count for a number of calories, and the portion sizes are made simple to follow. The coach thoroughly explained each category, and then took a look at my food journey to see how it compared. This approach would be extremely beneficial to someone trying to understand nutrition. My coach also took the time to explain how to read food labels in a basic and quick way that anyone can follow.

She gave me homework! I'm to eat one salad a day (to get in a bit more "free" vegetables, which are low calories, water based greens, peppers watercress etc) and I need to reduce my flavor enhancers (this comes from cream in my coffee) by substituting one cream a day for milk. I was also impressed by a very quick response with further information that she said may be of interest to me.

I continue to take my supplements, and I have not received my genetic results. Really, at this point I only have three very small complaints:

-The categories are very simple and I have been running into problems filling out my food log. Beans as an example, count as a protein, even though there is a ton of carbohydrates in them. If all of my meals are bean based then to my coach, it looks as though I'm eating zero carbs, which is very bad!

-The food log only has slots for 4 meals a day. I eat about 4-6 and this has proven difficult to fill out.

-The food plan allows 50 calories a day to be from luxury items. This is somewhat unrealistic as it's only a tablespoon or so of ice cream, or 4-5 potato chips. My goal with Newtopia is to put on a bit of muscle and tone out. My luxury calories have been raised to 100. Still, I find this hard to maintain 7 days a week.

Despite what I consider to be extremely nit-picky issues with the system, overall I'm impressed and definitely looking forward to my next session!

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Training with Plyometrics

Plyometrics, otherwise known as jump training, is a sports conditioning technique to improve performance. It achieve power and full body conditioning while receiving a cardiovascular benefit.

The exercises that are included in plyometrics cause the exerciser to, "leave the ground" through jumping and explosive lower and upper body power. Exercises such as push ups, squats and lunges can be made into plyometric exercise by pushing through the point of contact (heels for squats and lunges, palms for push ups) to leave the ground in between each rep.

Other exercises include:

-Jumping side to side, back and front

-long jumps

-Jumping with a knee tuck

-Swing kicks (straight leg swinging over a chair)

-exercises that mimics sports movement such as throwing a basketball in a jump shot.

When I first started a plyometric routine I was concerned over prior injuries in my ankle and knee. However, I have found that the training has actually strengthened these weaknesses, instead of aggravating them. The beauty of plyometric training is that it can be modified:

-Exercises can explode out of the form without leaving the ground

-One leg exercises can be completed on two

-Smaller jumps can be substituted for high

This type of training will make athletes stronger at their game and the hobby exerciser receive overall body conditioning, and provide a nice change of pace for a general fitness regimen.

Try It!

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Monday Motivation - Inspirational Poetry

You Can Be Whatever You Want To Be!
by: Donna Levine

There is inside you
All of the potential
To be whatever you want to be;
All of the energy
To do whatever you want to do.
Imagine yourself as you would like to be,
Doing what you want to do,
And each day, take one step
Towards your dream.
And though at times it may seem too
difficult to continue,
Hold on to your dream.
One morning you will awake to find
That you are the person you dreamed of,
Doing what you wanted to do,
Simply because you had the courage
To believe in your potential
And to hold on to your dream.

The Victor
by: C. W. Longenecker

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are out classed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of your-self before
You can ever win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

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The Final 5lbs - Losing the Last of the Tummy Fat

After succeeding at a weight loss program many people find that they can't firm up the final few few pounds around their midsection. Here are three techniques to try:

1. Focus on Diet

I always tell people that if they are exercising to their full potential, and not seeing the results that they want to achieve, then they should look at their diet. The last few pounds around the waistline is notoriously toned with a cleaner diet. This should include eating plenty of vegetables, raising protein and lowering carbs. It also helps to drink plenty of water and avoid sugar.

2. Core Training

Sometimes putting muscle on helps to firm the skin that is covering the abdominal. In addition to isolated abs training, focus strength sessions on compound exercises (using more than one muscle at a time) and exercise that combines balance, plyometrics and stretching. Yes, stretching helps to develop muscle!

3. Stress Management

On the wellness side of things, stress makes it difficult to shed fat. While diet and exercise routines are being modified and tweaked, make sure that a good sleep is priority, and plenty of down time. Try yoga or meditation as a supplement to any fitness plan.

These three tips will help to achieve a lean and hard midsection.

Get Ripped!

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Newtopia - Review Part 1

I have been asked to try out and review the Newtopia weight loss system. Newtopia is a new diet plan with a twist; a genetic test is performed to factor in any predetermined characteristics or foods that will help or hinder an individual's journey to weight loss. The process is as follows:

1. After signing up to Newtopia the client creates their account on the online system, and then fills out an assessment to determine their level, current activity and any emotional or psychological barriers that could be preventing weight loss. I found the program to be relatively easy to navigate, and it's comprehensive. It includes a workout program, a suggested caloric intake, a food journal and a section for wellness.

2. A big component to Newtopia's service is their online coaching via Skype or the phone. The client is assigned a coach to analyze their assessment. I had my first coaching session, and despite the program not yet being catered to advanced fitness and nutrition (or building muscle, as are my goals) my coach was very helpful and insightful, providing me information about myself that rings true.

3. Clients receive a kit in the mail that includes their genetic test (with a paid postage envelope to send to the lab) and a month supply of supplements. There are a lot of supplements: a multi-vitamin, Vitamin D, essential amino acids and more. There are five total to be taken daily.

Now I wait for my genetic results, and have another appointment with my coach to discuss my homework; tracking my meals for three days.

Bottom Line: Promising for beginners. This program gives weight loss-hopefuls a lot to work with. I'm looking forward to the genetic results and subsequent coaching. I'll keep readers informed on my progress.

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Encouraging Motivation

"The ability to convert ideas to things is the secret to outward success."
-Henry Ward Beecher

"Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still."
-Chinese Proverb

"Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow."
-Doug Firebaugh

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
-Henry David Thoreau

"You cannot plough a field by
turning it over in your mind."
-Author Unknown

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Muscle Soreness - Not Just for Beginners

After being in the training biz for going on seven years now, I've heard many stories about a person's first workout with a trainer, and how they were, "so sore that they couldn't move for days." Yikes! That doesn't sound pleasant.

Muscle soreness is caused by a build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. The soreness tends to show up between 24-48 hours (commonly called "DOMS" or delayed onset muscle soreness) after exercise but it's not unique to beginners.

Any time that you exercise by incorporating new moves, heavier weights or by adding time to the routine, your muscles are simply not used to the demand. The tiny muscle fibers tear and break, and then they heal to handle that same load of work the next time. A little muscle soreness is a good thing. It means that you have challenged your body. Sometimes however, it's almost too much!

Example: I tried the P90X Core Synergistics DVD about 3 weeks ago and a day later, my core was in so much pain that I found it hard to breathe for THREE full days! This was definitely a case of too much. Actually, I enjoyed the workout and once I gathered the courage to try it again (three weeks later) I was still sore but in a good way! Even after three weeks my body improved and adapted for this crazy workout. The next time I try it? I probably won't feel much at all.

The point of this post is to say that muscle soreness happens! Many new exercisers become discouraged, thinking that it's always going to be this way, when it's just the first couple of workouts.

Besides, you can reduce muscle soreness by:

1. Stretching between exericses (this is also the optimal way to fully develop gorgeous muscles)

2. Taking a cold bath or shower (unpleasant but it works)

3. Eating protein after a workout (repairs and rebuilds)

Whatever you do, don't exercise over sore muscles. They're trying to heal. Working out will only delay the process.

Get Fit!

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The Paleo Diet - Fad or Sustainable?

The nutrition industry regularly sees new "revolutionary" diets that claim to be the answer to a sustainable lifestyle. The "Paleo" short for Paleolithic diet is a meal plan based around eating like well...Cavemen/women! This is also called the hunter-gatherer diet.

The basis of this diet revolves around vegetables, nuts, seeds and meat that come from free-range (non mass produced) sources. It restricts: grains, legumes, processed food, dairy, salt, sugar and *gasp* caffeine.

So Does it Work?

Well yeah, any diet that is low in carbs will help a dieter to lose weight. The question is, is it sustainable? Why would we eat like we're from 2000 years ago when technology and has evolved our diet?

While I never believe in food restriction with enough carbs from vegetables and fruit and the feeling of fullness from a high protein diet, people have been maintaining this diet. Personally, I see this diet as an opportunity to learn new ways to eat healthier but not necessarily give up our beloved sandwiches and occasional pizzas!

-I like that this diet promotes free-range and grain fed animal products.

-Eating meals once in a while that do not contain grain is a good way to go.

-Consuming more seeds and nuts is the best source of healthy fats.

How to Incorporate the Paleo Diet into your Lifestyle

Personally, I'm on a half paleo diet anyway. I'm a vegetarian and while out ancient ancestors probably wouldn't be eating a tempeh stirfry I borrow the concept of protein and vegetable only meals.

Many people (myself at one point included) was almost scared to reduce carbs. Never eliminate them entirely because carbohydrates give you energy! However, it's safe to say that we eat too many and carbs that have not been burned off from activity store as fat. Protein on the other hand, does not store as fat, and healthy fats absorb nutrients and keep skin and hair healthy.

I can't eliminate beans and legumes because they ARE healthy and delicious. I also refuse to give up caffeine and dairy. However, I never add salt, and I cut out bread and most grains during the work week and then add them back in over the weekend, when dining out and visiting family makes it unavoidable anyway. I feel like this is a good balance.

Eating vegetables and protein is very satisfying and since I started to eat this way I crave sugar a lot less, and I feel fuller for much longer on less calories. Energy levels are up, and I sleep better at night.

Ultimately, it's up to the individual to figure out how they will work new nutrition concepts into their meal plan. I believe that any fad diet can be borrowed from, as they have their strong points that have caused their popularity. I never endorse a diet that makes you feel deprived and miserable, and I think that eventually I wouldn't be able to follow this one, as I'd miss too much!

Have you ever tried to follow a "fad" diet? Did it work out on a long term basis?

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Motivation - Power From Within

Here Are Three Tips to Find the Power Within Yourself

1. Focus on the Positive

We all have qualities that we like about ourselves and qualities that could use improvement. When we're facing a bad day/week/month etc it's important to not dwell on why we're having a challenging time. Try to focus on the good qualities and work on improving them. Example: "I haven't had time to do a lot of workouts this week but when I do I really have the perseverance to put in a full effort. During my next workout I'll focus on challenging myself and putting in that full effort that I'm so good at."

2. Keep What Motivates you Close

When we're going through a period of low motivation we need to keep our goals close by. This could be simply an image of the ideal body or habits that we want to achieve, a picture or a note that we carry around. Personally when I'm not feeling motivated I'm more likely to eat junk food. My motivating image is how nasty I'll feel the next day and my mantra is, "Is it worth it?" This really works for me!

3. Celebrate Progress

We love reward systems. If we're always achieving success but never offering ourselves breaks and rewards the effort can begin to seem never ending! After a week of great workouts, offer yourself a couple of days to rest (completely guilt free!) or go out for dessert with friends. There's really no point to work your buns off if you're always living within the confines of a strict regimen.

Stay Motivated!

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Tips to Eat for Success

Nutrition plays a big part of fitness goals, maybe even more so than exercise! The food that is consumed is our fuel for activity both physical and mental and the quality of nutrition will play a huge role in how your body is using that food. The idea is to make the most of every calorie by using these three tips:

How to Eat for Success by Making the Most of your Diet

1. Make Every Calorie Count

Aim to eat healthy food 90% of the time. Every calorie should be going toward a function within the body. Healthy fats from nuts, fish and avocado contribute to healthy hair, skin and nails. Fats also help the body to absorb nutrients. Vegetables should be a variety of colours and fruits should be high in fiber (apples, pears). Carbohydrates should come from whole grain sources.

2. Eat When you are Hungry and Vice Versa

Listen to your body. Eat when you are hungry. This prevents over eating. When the body thinks it's starving it holds onto fat and this makes it even harder to lose it. On the flip side, if your satiated, don't eat! Stop eating when you are not hungry anymore. Save the other half of your meal for lunch the next day!

3. Don't Drink Calories

Calories in liquid form really cut into daily calorie requirements and most beverages do not offer much nutritionally. Even by cutting out pop (soda) at the beginning of a weight loss diet can help to shed a few pounds really quickly. Drink tea and water and if you really need the pop and juices switch to diet or Crystal Light.

These tips will help you to make the most of your calories and achieve success with an overall diet and nutrition plan!

Eat Well!

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