After your first personal training session, you might be feeling a little uncomfortable. By uncomfortable, we’re of course referring to the tell-tale soreness that comes after pushing your body to the limit, but do you know how to tell the difference between good pain and bad pain? While some soreness is often normal and can be alleviated using some basic at-home methods, this isn’t to be confused with your body’s signal communicating to you that something may be wrong and you’re actually facing an injury.

When you work out in your personal training session, you’re working your muscles harder than they’re normally worked, and in ways, they’re not often used. What this does is causes small micro-tears in the muscle fibers which, while maybe sounding scary, are actually a good thing. As the muscles repair themselves, they grow to be stronger, denser, and more resilient, and that soreness you feel from the small muscle fiber tears is actually your body getting the exact results you want from personal training. This discomfort will often present itself as a sort of all-over ache or soreness, or tenderness localized in particular muscle groups you’ve been working particularly hard.

Sometimes the pain doesn’t signal gain, however, and you should put your personal training sessions on hold while you get examined by your doctor. Burning sensations, sharp localized pains, and stabbing pains while working out don’t signal your regular muscle fiber tears and recovery and could be pointing to a more serious injury requiring some down time while your body rests and recovers. In some instances, these injuries can be serious, and you should always be open with your personal trainer if you begin to feel pain that you don’t quite think is normal.

The good kind of pain from a personal training session is something you should be proud of. For 3 Risk-Free Personal Training Sessions with a Certified, Insured Personal Trainer & a 30-day Money-Back Guarantee on any Program, Call Us today to see how you can get your summer fitness regimen started.

Sandy started her fat loss journey with 56 pounds to lose, though when you see her now you’d never believe that she was once overweight. Today the lean and attractive mother of two walks confidently with a spring in her step and a smile on her face.

Given her amazing transformation, it’s easy to see why she’s so confident and happy.

But back when Sandy first came to me, she was fed up and constantly stressing about her weight. She was sick and tired of feeling unattractive, embarrassed and discouraged. None of the diets or exercise plans that she tried ever worked.

Sandy felt hopeless about ever regaining the attractive body that she once had.

As I got to know Sandy, she told me about the way her body changed after her pregnancies, how the weight continued to add up over the course of a few years, and how each pound rendered her more frustrated and hopeless.

We came up with a simple plan, the first step towards regaining a body that she felt excited about again.

The simple habit that started it all…

Aristotle taught us that, “You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” His words aptly apply to fitness.

For Sandy, dropping 56 pounds was not the result of an act, but of a habit.

The simple habit that she adopted was to place her gym clothes on her nightstand before going to sleep each night.

That’s. It.

Every morning the first thing that she would see was the tidy stack of clean gym clothes. So her first act of the day was to put them on.

Naturally, now that her gym clothes were on, Sandy would then go directly to her workout. By starting her day in such a positive, fitness-oriented way, Sandy was then able to continue making healthy choices throughout the day, ending it by putting the next day’s gym clothes on her nightstand before bed.

Did she have any hiccups along the way? Certainly. There were days that would start out great, but then she’d get off track sometime after lunch. Discouraging as the occasional setback was, she kept on putting her gym clothes out each night.

By starting her day out with such a positive fitness experience, Sandy was able to make a habit out of fitness. As a result she lost 56 pounds and regained her confidence and sunny disposition.

What about you? What habit could you adopt that would keep you on track with your fitness goal?

It shouldn’t be complicated.

Maybe you will start putting your gym clothes out each night, like Sandy. Maybe you will make the recipe below for Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken each week to pack with some veggies in mini meals to eat throughout your day.

Pick one simple, fitness habit and add it to your daily routine.

If you need help coming up with the right new habit to get you into amazing shape then reach out to me. I’m here to help you transform your body and your life!

Don’t wait –start a new habit today!

Daily Quota and Big Goals

You have some BIG GOALS in that brain of yours! Good for you! Big Goals give us the purpose and meaning that we need to live a fulfilling life.

The way to reach your Big Goal is to put daily quotas in place. These are the little steps that add up to the achievement of your Big Goal.

In writing a book, the daily quota is typing a minimum number of words per day. In fitness, your daily quota is the workout and clean eating that you’ll do.

Put your own daily quotas in place, and each day you’ll travel closer to the achievement of your Big Goal. Go get ‘em!

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

Having healthfully prepared protein on hand for on-the-go meals is a MUST when it comes to packing healthy meals to eat throughout your day. Put 4 to 6 ounces of protein (like this amazing pulled chicken!), a handful of cooked veggies and a handful of fresh arugula in a little Tupperware and drizzle on a bit of homemade balsamic dressing for a simple, quick, get-lean meal.

Eating small meals every few hours consisting of protein and veggies is the most reliable way that I know of to drop body fat and maintain a steady flow of energy throughout the day. It’s pretty darn tasty too, when you make the meals yourself!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 4

Here’s what you need

2 ½ lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Rinse the chicken breast and pat dry. Season with the salt and pepper on all sides.

2. In a slow cooker, whisk the chicken broth, tomato paste, paprika and garlic. Add the seasoned chicken breast and the bay leaves. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, flipping the chicken after 1 hour.

3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let cool for 20 minutes. Strain the broth. Use two forks to gently shred the chicken, discarding skin, fat, cartilage and bones. Store the chicken and broth separately in the fridge to use for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis

One serving equals: 191 calories, 5g fat, 3g carbohydrate, 1g sugar, 960mg sodium, 0g fiber, and 34g protein.

Top 3 Secrets on How to Crush those Last 10 Pounds by a Certified Nutritionist

Got a frustrating few pounds left?

You’ve been on point with your fitness, getting in your workouts and eating cleaner than ever before. Initially the weight fell off, and it motivated you to keep it up.

But now your results have stopped.

You’re still doing all that hard work, but it’s no longer showing in pounds lost, inches shed and compliments gained.

What gives? It’s seriously frustrating.

The good news is that reaching a plateau with your results is natural and normal. It happens to everyone. And there is a solution…

I am a Certified Nutritionist and Best Selling Author! And here are my 3 Foolproof Steps to Crush Those Last 10 LBS (BTW these steps also work when applied to the first few pounds!)

Foolproof Step #1: Eliminate The Sugar

Yeah, yeah, I know you’re eating cleaner than you’ve ever eaten before, and that you’ve eliminated the junk food that you used to enjoy. But don’t tell me that you’ve taken all of the sugar out of your diet.

When it comes to crushing those last few pounds you must become ruthless with eliminating sugar from your diet. Yes, even wholesome sugars found in fruits and nutrient sweeteners. These “healthy” sugars are working against you.

If it has sugar grams then start avoiding it.

Turn to the natural, sugar-free sweetness of stevia when your sweet tooth really needs a pick-me-up, rather than to fruit, honey or other wholesome sweeteners.

There’s even stevia-sweetened chocolate on the market that you could enjoy! Or make your own sugar-free chocolate at home by melting down unsweetened chocolate and adding in liquid stevia to taste.

Foolproof Step #2: Eat Small Frequent Meals

Dividing your daily calories between small mini-meals throughout the day is a tried-and-true way to reboot your fitness results. Aim to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours, keeping the portions small and filled with protein and fiber.

Veggies and meat should make up the bulk of your small meals. Keep portion size in check and avoid adding in starches or sugars.

Use the Easy Skillet Veggies recipe below for tender veggies to use in your small meals. Just add some protein and be sure to pack it ahead of time to eat on-the-go whenever 2.5 hours has passed.

You may be surprised how quickly this technique revs up your metabolism, turning you into a calorie-burning machine!

Foolproof Step #3: Increase Workout Intensity

It’s great that you’re exercising regularly, but how hard are you really pushing yourself? Could you lift heavier? Could you go longer? Could you move quicker?

As soon as your workout routine falls into a rut, you can be sure that your results will do the same.

To avoid this frustrating hamster wheel of boring-workouts-no-results, look at each and every workout as a personal challenge to outdo what you did yesterday. Reach for the weights that are going to be a bit of a struggle, instead of the ones that you could do in your sleep.

You might as well get the most out of your time in the gym, and pushing yourself will do just that.

There you have it, 3 Foolproof Steps to Crush Those Last 10 LBS! Implement these into your routine for 30 days and watch how quickly the weight falls off.

You can do this!

I’m here to get you there even faster. Don’t wait another minute. Call or email me today and let’s crush those last 10 together!

Bonus Cardio Session

To take your fat-torching results up another notch by adding a bonus cardio session to your evening routine. Spend 30 minutes before dinner doing sprints, riding your bike, swimming laps or doing burpees. Try this for 30 days for phenomenal results!

Easy Veggie Skillet

This mixture of tender veggies is perfect for packed meals for the week. The savory and tangy flavor element from the vinegar adds the perfect amount of kick to liven up a serving of protein.

One of the reasons that I chose these three particular vegetables (red onions, mushrooms, and asparagus) was because it will last all week in the fridge without getting soft, soggy or otherwise undesirable. In fact, the flavors intensify over a few days and you can continue to enjoy the same batch all week!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.comhttp://realhealthyrecipes.com

Servings: 8

Here’s what you need

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, halved and sliced
• 2 bunches Asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
• 4 cups white mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• ¼ cup white wine
• sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes.
2. Add the asparagus and sauté for another 4 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and vinegar and continue to sauté for another 4 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper and continue to sauté until the liquid is gone and the veggies are tender and flavorful. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis

One serving equals: 43 calories, 2g fat, 5g carbohydrate, 2g sugar, 4mg sodium, 2g fiber, and 3g protein.

Most people think way too much about how to lose the weight. Maybe you do this too. You spend hours gathering information about the latest trends and the quickest way to get in shape, and then become completely overwhelmed by all that you learn.

There are thousands of ways to exercise and eat healthy, so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by it all, and end up doing nothing. The good news is that all effective fitness programs contain the same core elements, which I outlined for you below as 5 Easy Steps to Get Fit Fast:

Get Fit Step #1: Consistency is KEY

If you want a fit body then exercise MUST be a consistent part of your life. You can’t exercise hard this week and then take the next two weeks off and expect to see results. Results come from consistency.

Don’t overthink the mode of exercise. Focus on being consistent.

Get Fit Step #2: Set ATTAINABLE goals

Let’s be realistic here, you aren’t going to lose 20 pounds in a week. That’s not an attainable goal! Those who achieve the most amazing body transformations do so by reaching a series of progressive, attainable goals. If you would like help in determining what an appropriate, attainable goal would be for yourself then simply reach out to me, I’d be happy to help.

Don’t give up too quickly. Keep striving and the results will come.

Get Fit Step #3: Make it CONVENIENT

Are you straining to include your chosen exercise routine into your life? If your exercise time isn’t a seamless part of your daily life, if it causes too much of a strain and headache to accomplish, then you won’t stick with it. Find a time, a place and a modality of exercise that is as convenient to your real life as possible, so that you can be faithful to Get Fit Step #1 by staying consistent.

Make exercise part of your routine. Don’t stray back to your old habits.

Get Fit Step #4: Find something you LOVE

Similar to Get Fit Step #3, finding a modality of exercise that you LOVE is key to making this a permanent part of your life. You may never love swimming because you hate getting your ears wet, or you may never love biking because you’ve always struggled with balance. If you’re straining to get through a modality of exercise that you loathe, then you won’t stick with it. It’s best to move on to something different that you would enjoy more.

**Note for exercise-haters: If deep down you consider yourself an exercise hater, then DO NOT take this as a free pass to forego exercise altogether under the guise of not loving it.

Part of becoming fit for life is learning to find a type of exercise that you can learn to love.

Get Fit Step #5: Work with a PRO

This is my favorite step because this is where I get to work with you! My passion and focus is in helping folks like yourself integrate fun, challenging, health-promoting exercise into your daily routine so that you reach your body and health transformation goals.

Don’t wait another minute! Call or email me today to get started on your personal body transformation.

Something to Look Forward To

Have you ever stopped to consider what your life would be like today if one year ago you had become one of my clients and had started your body transformation journey? Wouldn’t it be great if you could snap your fingers make that a reality? While you can’t turn back the hands of time, you CAN begin TODAY, and in 12 months the future you will thank yourself for it.

Roasted Cauliflower Steak

This is such a simple recipe and yet it yields so much satisfaction! If you love salty foods like chips or crackers then this Cauliflower recipe may be the guilt-free snack that you’ve been searching for.

I like to slice the cauliflower into large slabs, like steaks, however be aware that not all of the pieces will stick together. That’s perfectly fine! Smaller pieces of roasted, seasoned cauliflower taste just as delicious as the larger pieces.

Enjoy these Roasted Cauliflower Steaks as a side dish for your next meal or eat it as a delicious and guilt free snack!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 30

Here’s what you need

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
• olive oil spray
• salt and pepper
• All-Purpose Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Slice the cauliflower into ¼ inch slices. Lightly spray each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and all-purpose seasoning. Lay the pieces out on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven, flipping the pieces after 15 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis

One serving equals: 18 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbohydrate, 1g sugar, 128mg sodium, 2g fiber, and 1g protein.