Healthy food for the week

Every morning I sip my coffee and prepare our meals for the day. When you prep and prepare your food for the day on a consistent basis you will notice that your overall health and fitness will be consistent as well. Clean food will give you energy for the day to not only conquer the endless to do list we all have as well as the many priorities we would like to pay attention to, but you will have adequate energy to perform at a high level in the gym, on your run or bike, or training at the gym in class or with your trainer. Those who do not prep and prepare snacks and meals for the day will find themselves reaching for anything to curb their need for food, and these choices could be sabotaging your quest for a slim waist line.

This week we will have:

Meals to have for both lunch and dinner prepared and stored in fridge

1 crock pot of chicken thigh meat marinated in vegetable broth, shallots, celery, and carrots
1lb of chicken tenders dipped in egg whites and almond flour, baked, and ready to throw on top of salads
1 pot roast with sweet potatoes, yicama, onions, vegetable broth, celery and carrots
Salmon filet for dinner served with a fresh salad
Ribeye served with sauteed squash

Snacks:

apple and almond butter
chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots
Berries and almonds
small salads topped with crock pot dinner topped with avocado
grapefruit
almond flour pancakes topped with berries

breakfast:
oatmeal, fruit,and nuts
egg white scramble with bell peppers, spinach, and pot roast
2 eggs, 2 almond pancake
egg whites with left over ribeye, veggies
banana, almond butter, 1 egg

Take 2 hours every weekend to prep and prepare a few meals and snacks that will get you through the week making smart choices in order for you to see the results you are working for!

Hot Chelle Rae - I Like It Like That

The difference between today's and yesterday's run

Yesterday I woke up 30 minutes before the 4:30am wake up call. I woke up refreshed and ready to go. Today I snoozed 3 times after a restless night of sleep and a 11:30pm break of slumber that lasted till 1am.

Yesterday I had only a half of cup of coffee and was out the door by 5:30am. Today I had 1 1/2 cups and barely got out the door by 6:15am.

Yesterday it was 17 degrees out and right when I got outside my nose and lips went numb, my hands were frozen and began hurting right away and remained in pain through out the run, and my legs never really did warm up. Today it was about 29 degrees outside, I had 2 layers of gloves, and I warmed up by mile 4 and my body temp remained comfortable for the entire run.

Yesterday Ken and I talked for almost the entire run; he mainly talked and I love hearing his stories. It helped pass the time and kept me entertained. I will admit, running with him is delightful and because of this I fall in love deeper every day. Today, we both seemed to be tired. We ran 10 miles yesterday so our legs were reasonably heavy and fatigued. Conversation was a minimal this morning run. My head was the struggle all run as pointed out by Ken who did a wonderful job letting me know that my body is capable of the distant, it's my mental capacity that needs training.

Yesterday it felt like we cruised along for the 10 miles, enjoying the scenery, talking about the crazy things we did in the past and remarking on the architecture of the neighborhoods of Wash Park and nearby Cheesman Park. Today, I felt like someone was playing a trick on me and had my legs tied to a string and held the resistance for all 10 miles, as if bricks were at the end of the string held down by cement. I noticed the scenery but spent most of the time with my eyes down concentrating only on putting one foot in front of the other.

Yesterday I hit the wall at 7 miles. I had inner thigh pain and needed to stop a few times to stretch; however I pushed through the wall and continued for the next 3 miles at a steady 8:50 pace. Today I hit the wall at 6 miles. I had hamstring tightness, struggled with picking up my legs. I was inside of my head too much. The last 4 miles was a push of mental endurance. I felt bad that I may have been holding up Ken. He stayed with me and talked to me about the different techniques on how to take inventory of your body and to see if you are struggling with real pain or the inevitable struggle of running right through your comfort zone, standing on the edge of complete physical discomfort and mental chaos.

Yesterday my upper body was mildly tight. Today my right shoulder blade went numb and then the numbness turned to pain. I have battled with this in the past and when I was about 26 stopped training for endurance because of this. Ken talked me through some body checks and made me realize that even though it was causing me pain, I definitely could continue running through it. At mile 8 the shoulder blade relaxed and I didn't even notice the pain the last 2 miles.

Yesterday I had a hop in my step the last mile, picked up the pace and ran confidently to the end. Today, the slight incline for the remaining 1/2 mile felt like a 2000 foot vertical incline (possible exaggeration) that I would never be able to conquer.

Yesterday we completed 10 miles by 7:15am. Today we completed 10.5 miles by 8:00am.

Two different days. Two different runs. 10 miles finished. 1:30 minutes of running. Though each run presented specific challenges, on each day not only did I get out of the door with my running shoes on I had finished what I had started.

As Ken as said to me, "Anyone can run to the wall, it's what you do after the wall that counts."

I will keep this short but wanted to highlight just what you need to do to maximize your workouts and get the results you are aiming for.

1. Frequency and Duration: The most common question is "How many times should I workout?" I wish there was a clear cut answer on this one but I will give you my suggestions based on my personal experience and success and the five years of experience with my clientele.

a. Body Change: 5-6xs a week, 30-75 minutes a day at 80-90% intensity at least 50% of the workout

b. Body Maintenance: 2-4xs a week, 30-60 minutes a day at 75-85% intensity at least 50% of the workout. Body Maintenance is just that: maintaining your current fitness level, what ever that is. So if you are 25lbs overweight and are deconditioned you will remain in this same state unless you commit to more days of exercise.


My suggestion: 3 weight workouts 20-60 minutes, 3 cardio intense workouts 20-60 minutes.


Suggestions: Take a group fitness class at your club. There are several options similar to the following:

Cardio Chiesel, Bosu Blast, Sports Training, Group Power, Total Body Conditioning, Barre, Spin, Hot Yoga


CLASSES I TEACH AT COLORADO ATHLETIC CLUB:

TUESDAY: CARDIO CORE- 4:30

THURSDAY: BARRE - 4:30, SPORTS TRAINING - 5:30

FRIDAY: BARRE- 6:15AM



TRAINERS NOTES:

* The hardest part of working out, training for a race, or just making a commit to exercise daily is GETTING OUT THE DOOR. We all feel like this, EVEN ME. Today - it being 17 degrees - was a challenging wake up call for my 10 mile run. But I got out the door and then the run was fun, challenging, and I felt accomplished once I finished.
* Many clients do workout 4-6xs a week; however they remain in their comfort zone. IN ORDER FOR YOUR BODY TO CHANGE YOU HAVE TO STEP OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND GET UNCOMFORTABLE. At mile 7 today I was mentally and almost physically falling apart: that's where the real training begins. If I stopped at 7 I would have missed the opportunity to establish a new level of fitness.

2. Nutrition: I have sent you a newsletter about this as well as a previous email that highlighted small things to pay attention to in order to maximize what you are doing in the gym.

A. BEGINNING MONDAY THE 30TH I WOULD LIKE EACH OF YOU TO BEGIN TRACKING YOUR NUTRITION UNTIL THE 5TH IF YOU FEEL AS THOUGH NUTRITON IS THE MISSING LINK. LAST WEEK I TRACKED MY NUTRITION AND NOTICED SOME ALARMING HIGH CALORIC, BUT CONSIDERED HEALTHY, SNACKS AND BREAKFAST. THE BREAKFAST I EAT ALMOST DAILY HAD 680 CALORIES, 76 GRAMS OF CARBOHYDRATES, 30 GRAMS OF SUGAR, AND ONLY 15 GRAMS OF PROTEIN. WOW! AND WOO! Obviously this has to change and I would have never known this if I had not tracked my nutrition. Make sure you are completely honest and you do not edit exactly what and how much you eat.

3. Sleep and stress: If you are not sleeping soundly for 7-9 hours and you are utterly stressed you also will not see results. Make sleep and time away from the computer, your to do list, and the stress of work a priority. I have worked out clients 4xs a week and because they were just super stressed and sleep deprived their bodies never changed. Pay attention to this part of the fitness equation with unwaivering detail.



I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON A FEW POINTS THAT I HAVE NOTICED THIS WEEK ARE AFFECTING MY CLIENT'S RESULTS.

WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!

Here's the truth: what you put in your body is what you will get out of your body. Our body's performance is directly related to the food that we consume daily. What our body looks like is 80% determined by what and how much we eat. No matter how much exercise one does, if you consume inadequate nutrition all of your time spent exercising will be absolutely futile. Properly nourishing your body is the key to increased energy and living a fit and healthy life. Here are my top nutrition tips I suggest to look, feel, and perform optimally.

1. REMEMBER FOOD IS FUEL: To reiterate, what you put in your body is what you will get out of your body. The consumption of nutrient dense foods will enable your body to move, function, and perform at it's highest potential. If you eat high processed, low nutrient food you will fall below par and suffer not only from malnourishment, but you will also struggle daily with fatigue, low energy, mood swings, poor self-esteem, and insufficient body function and performance.

2. EAT BREAKFAST EVERY SINGLE DAY: Not eating breakfast - in my opinion - is one of the top reasons why you will not see results with your exercise game plan. Breakfast breaks the fast after 7-9 hours of slumber. When you awake, your body needs nutrients- not just coffee- to prepare itself for the daily grind that will push and pull each of us in several different directions. Too often do I hear my lunch time clients admit that they have not had anything to eat all day! How do you expect to lose weight and be more energetic through out the day if you are not feeding your body? Honestly, I think this is irresponsible. And not all breakfast is treated equally. A doughnut will not suffice, nor will greasy fried food, or even that energy bar that has more than 12g of sugar.

TRAINER'S SUGGESTION: Consume 60% LEAN PROTEIN, 40% COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES, 10% HEALTHY FAT at each meal, especially breakfast. (This is an average formula that needs to be individualized according to nutrient/calorie needs)

*1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup berries, 1/8 cup slivered almonds, 8oz 2% milk
* 1 whole egg, 5 egg whites, 1 cup vegetables, 1 whole wheat tortilla, 1/2 cup grapes
* 2 scrambled eggs, 1/2 sweet potato, 1/2 cup veggies, 1 piece of whole grain dry toast
* 1 cup 0% fat Greek Yogurt, 1 cup berries, 1 piece of whole grain toast with 1 tsp of almond butter
* 1 apple with 1 tbsp of almond butter, 1 8oz glass of 2% milk
* 4 oz of lean steak, 6 egg whites, 1 cup of veggies, 1/2 orange
*Almond flour pancakes, 1 cup berries, 6 scrambled egg whites


3. EAT AS CLOSE TO THE SOURCE AS POSSIBLE: Eating foods that are fresh and from their natural source will help you feel better, look better, and give you more energy than high processed, salty, sugar latent, nutrient depleted foods. You also will decrease the risk of developing chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. My #1 suggestion to my clients is to think of food not only as fuel but as power - the amount of energy the food will give you. The more processed a food item is the more energy your body uses to under go the process of digestion. The more energy your body uses for digestion the less energy you will have to perform your daily activities.


4. Prep, prepare, and pack 75% of your weekly meals: Eating out versus meals prepared at home increases the percent of daily calories consumed from fat and added sugar. Though one can make healthy choices when dining out, on average you will consume 100-500 more calories at each meal and snack. When you prep, prepare, and pack your daily snacks and meals you will not find yourself hungry and giving into the snacks in the office break room or at the Starbucks counter. The lack of time is the #1 excuse I hear from my clientele as to why they do not prep and prepare their own meals. I do understand this but do not except this, nor should you. In one hour you can: bake 8 chicken breasts, 4 sweet potatoes, and 1 spaghetti squash in the oven and saute a veggie stir-fry and steam a pot of broccoli, carrots and new potatoes. Crock pot meals are also a time efficient, healthy and easy way to ensure you have meals for the week. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT ENTERS YOUR MOUTH! GET PREPARED!

5. Replenish your energy and repair your muscles with a post-workout snack consumed no more than 30 minutes after exercise: A post-workout snack within 30 minutes will help repair muscle tissues and replenish glycogen stores (one of the main source of energy in a workout.) If you do not consume protein and carbohydrates shortly after your workout not only will the effectiveness of your workout decrease but your chances of consuming less than adequate nutrition increases. I suggest carrying an 8oz chocolate milk in your gym bag and drink this right before your shower. In my opinion this is one of the easiest ways to ensure you replenish your energy and repair your muscles after a workout.

6. IF YOU CANNOT PRONOUNCE THE INGREDIENTS, THEN DO NOT EAT IT: If packaged food is part of your nutrition plan then I recommend no more than 7 ingredients and each ingredient should be recognizable and pronounceable. Also, become a food label expert and learn how to read labels, decipher each ingredient, and verify the nutrient content. Though convenient, protein and meal replacement bars will absolutely break this rule unless it's a whole food bar that contains nuts and dried fruit only. Again, as close to the source as possible is the best approach to the food you CHOOSE to consume.

7.TRACK YOUR NUTRITION FOR 2 WEEKS: Nutrition is a science. Several factors specific to the individual ought to be considered when determining how many calories a day you need to consume and how many grams of carbohydrates, protein, and fat should be part of your diet. Download an app on your phone to make tracking your nutrition convenient and assessable. After each meal, snack, and drink log it for the day, completely unedited. At the end of the day you will not only have a clear outlook on your total calorie consumption but you also will know just how many grams of carbohydrates, protein, and fat the food you consume consists of. The objective of nutritional tracking is to see absolutely clearly what you are putting in your mouth so do not fool yourself by editing. Track exactly what you eat and how much you eat to begin seeing clearly what areas of your nutrition need improvement and what foods you consume daily may be derailing your effort in the gym. My favorite apps are: Livestrong, Daily Plate, and Calorie King.

In order for change to occur you have to step outside of your comfort zone

The definition of insanity is: repeating the same thing and expecting a different outcome.

I know we have all visited the realm of insanity at some, or many, points in our lives. Maybe it's stubbornness, or that bull-headed inability to quit even when you have done everything you could. Possibly it could be that relentless motivation to produce an outcome you expected to achieve rather than accept it's just not going to happen and it's time to throw in the towel. Or better yet you demand more from yourself than what is currently at place and you will not bow down to defeat.

I have learned through experience that sanity is recognizing the things you just will not be able to change, accepting that throwing in the towel is the only thing you may be able to do, and then take one step forward and move on.

In health and fitness there are examples all around us of insanity. The woman on the treadmill who, though she does show up everyday and do her 3 miles at 7.0 incline, her body has not and probably will not change. How about the group of people who are in the front row of every group x class on the schedule and yet - no offense - their bodies too are not changing and their strength is not improving. Take the runner who puts in his/her 4-7 miles a day and yet their pants are still a bit tight and their per mile time has not budged for years.

When teaching class or training clients I stress that if you are comfortable more than 50% of your workout your body is not changing. Discomfort is the portal for change.

First let me stress that it's not necessary to exercise at a high intensity every workout you do. This in the end would be counter productive and a potential risk for injury. However if you are not exercising surpass your fitness level for at least 50% of the workout, your fitness will eventually flat line. And you know what happens when there is a flat line!

Here's the bottom line: in order to create body change you have to experience discomfort. You have to lift heavier than you are use to, run faster and longer than you have been, and workout one more day than you usually do. If you stay comfortable and do not step outside of your current fitness level and comfort zone, you will find yourself more often than not standing in front of the mirror pondering over your body's inability to change. If your body is not challenged it will not change.

Here are a few suggestions to kick it up a notch:

1. In Group X classes instead of reaching for those 5lb weights, also grab a set of 8lb dumbbells and begin each exercise with them. When you lose form or reach muscle failure then grab the 5lb weights and finish the set.

2. Increase your barbell weight by 2-5lbs every week or two depending on your current fitness level and body's capabilities. If you have been squatting with a 30lb barbell add 2.5lbs to each side. You may have to lower the reps; however you will be increasing your strength.

3. Increase your running mileage and or speed to your current workout; however make sure you do not increase by more than 10% a week. Your body will adapt to what you are doing day to day. Again, if you are not challenging your body - increasing speed and or distance - your body will not change.

4. Increase the intensity of your workout. You will burn more calories with increased intensity. My motto: rest adequately but minimally. Do you see those people who carry on a full conversation in between their sets? Unless you are lifting very heavy, your body does not require that much rest in between sets. 30-90 seconds depending on your fitness level is more than enough time to catch your breath and prepare your body to perform with proper form.

5. You are what you eat. Yes, most of our nutrition game plan is insane! No matter how many times you workout and how intense you perform your exercises if you are still consuming more calories than you burn your body will not change. Excess calories equates to excess fat on top of your muscles. Sugar, salt, processed food, alcohol, dairy, and inadequate nutrients will keep your body from not changing - no matter how hard you workout in the gym. In January I decided to stop eating dessert and snacking after dinner. Along with increased activity, cleaning up my nutrition contributed to a 17lb weight loss. Truth: Since August, my diet has been everything but body changing worthy. Yes, I have eaten dessert. My running mileage is down almost 20 miles a week and since I have moved and changed jobs I am no longer teaching 7 classes a week. I have gained 7lbs and that six-pack I was so proud of showing off is now covered by my super-cute Lululemon shirts.

Body change can only happen when you CHANGE your nutrition game plan as well step outside of your comfort zone in your workouts. Practice sanity: create change by increasing your discomfort.

Do not settle: Defining your fitness relationship

DO NOT SETTLE: DEFINING YOUR FITNESS RELATIONSHIP

My parents have always told me to never settle in life, whether they were speaking of love; work; friendships; the fit of a dress; the mechanic who tells you there's nothing wrong with the car even though that annoying noise will not go away; the therapist you choose to help you through the difficulties of life; the temperature of a steak that you are paying $30+ for; the approach of a school teacher that is molding the future of your children. We have all settled and yes, there are times when sitting back and accepting the things we cannot change is appropriate; however most of the time we can do something at least to make whatever it is causing us frustration, aggravation and pain a bit more bearable.

Why do we often sacrifice what we need and desire? Why are we more prone to compromise satisfaction?

I am not perfect and absolutely recognize the areas in my life where I have settled, am settling, and will settle. I know myself exceptionally well and also know the areas where I am willing to budge a little and the areas I will not. Fitness is the one area that I will not ever settle. Health and fitness are non-negotiable for me personally. When I am feeling fit, energetic, confident, and healthy I am a force to be reckoned with. When I am not, you can probably find me hidden underneath a blanket on the couch with Mr. Ben and Jerry. Our personal health and fitness are our life lines. If we are not fit from the inside out the other areas in our life will suffer, bottom line. When you look in the mirror, enter a room, or stand up in front of your co-workers and peers, in my opinion it is how you feel about yourself from the inside out that determines how you carry and present yourself. I believe it is our relationship with our health and fitness that is at the core of this.

Similar to a non-compatible romantic relationship that has run its course, fitness can be that area where most struggle with defining personal boundaries, as well as expressing their needs and wants and expecting them to be met. Whether you are working out with a personal trainer, participating in group fitness classes, working out with your friends or on your own, or signed up for a boot camp settling for anything less than what works for you and that what is good for you is straight up unhealthy. Here are a few tips and suggestions that I have gathered from working with 30+ clients a week that will hopefully help you define your fitness relationship and prevent you from settling.

1. Before you sign up for any gym membership, training package or boot camp define your health and fitness goals, determine what has kept you from achieving your goals, and be realistic about how much time you have in a week for your workouts.

2. Determine a realistic, monthly fitness budget. Be absolutely honest about this. From my experience as a trainer, there are several areas in our personal finances that can be cut in order to increase your expendable funds in the area of health and fitness. After you have determined what you are comfortable with spending, shop around and see what will fit with your fitness goals and your budget.

3. Decide what it is that will keep you motivated, determined and committed. Will you be able to work out on your own? Are you a group class exerciser? Maybe you are a boot camper? Or do you need more accountability with a personal trainer? If you do not enjoy a particular activity you will not wake up early or turn down a happy hour in order to get a workout in.

4. Once you know your goals, your budget, and what works for you take the necessary steps to commit to a consistent exercise game plan. First determine how many days and how long you can devote to your workouts. Second, decide what time works best for you to exercise. Third, do your research. Be informed! Familiarize yourself with what your new gym has to offer its members. Obtain reviews from the internet on the new boot camp that you have signed up for. Read the trainer's bio that you have recruited to help you with your fitness goals. The more knowledge you have, I believe the more successful you will be.

5. Commit to your goals. Be realistic with the time line. From my experience as a trainer, it takes approximately 21 days to establish forward momentum. Be honest with yourself: currently you are not at the peak of your fitness and you have not made fitness a priority. YOU WILL NOT PRODUCE LONG TERM RESULTS IN ONE WEEK OF EXERCISE AND HEALTHY NUTRITION. You will need to work harder than you have ever worked. You will need to step outside of your comfort zone in order to change your body. And you will need to make changes to your nutrition that will support your goals.

6. The last tip I recommend and this may just be the most important, be willing to change and adapt. I suggest taking inventory of your fitness game plan every four weeks. Are you moving forward towards your goals? Are you enjoying your exercise? Are you and your trainer a good fit? Is your new gym what you have been looking for? Again, if you are not having fun and enjoying your workouts you will be more apt to push them aside when life gets busy or the cocktail party at the office becomes more tempting.