Category: Motivation

Whether our clients are just trying to tone up or on a weight loss journey, they often ask us if there are any tricks to boosting their metabolism. Metabolism is the way your body converts food into energy. The faster your metabolism, the more effectively you burn your calories and the less fat you store. Everyone’s metabolism is different, some people have a naturally fast metabolism, while others have a naturally slow metabolism. However, no matter what your rate, you can boost your metabolism with a few tricks.

Hit The Weight Room

It’s pretty simple, muscle burns more calories than stored fat. Muscles burn about 6 calories per day per pound, while fat only burns 2 calories per day per pound. So the more muscle tone you have, the faster your metabolism. The best way to build muscle tone is with strength training. If you’ve never strength trained before, our personal trainers can put together a metabolism boosting program that is right for your level of fitness.

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

More than 3/4s of American adults are dehydrated. Dehydration slows your metabolism way down. The best way to fix this problem is to grab a portable water bottle and sip on water all day long. If water is boring for you, go ahead and add a few slices of cucumber, mint leaves, or your favorite citrus fruits like lemon, pineapple, or oranges.

Add More Protein To Your Plate

Most foods can be broken down into three categories: Protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Protein takes longer to digest than both carbohydrates and fats and burns more calories. Increasing your protein portions while decreasing your carbohydrate and fat portions can help your metabolism the boost it needs. The best metabolism boosting balance is lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and unsaturated fats.

The best part about all of these metabolism boosting tricks is that they all come with living a healthy lifestyle. Our personal trainers can help you achieve a lifestyle that not only helps you reach your fitness goals, but boost your metabolism naturally.

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.

If you haven’t hit the gym in awhile or have had a rough day of training, you may experience post-workout muscle soreness. Post workout muscle soreness or the technical term delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), can be pretty painful sometimes. Plus, it can be really demotivating because no one enjoys being stiff and sore. The best cure for DOMS is time, but there are some things you can do to relieve the pain.

Workout With A Personal Trainer

It almost goes without saying, but the best way to deal with DOMS is not to develop the soreness in the first place. It’s natural to felt a little tight after a hard workout, but you aren’t supposed to be in serious pain. Working out with a personal trainer can help ensure you don’t hurt yourself when you workout. They will work with you on form and push you only to a point where it is healthy. Plus, they advise you on what to eat before and after workout so your body has the nutrients it needs for recovery.

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

The most important thing to do when you do have DOMS is to hydrate. Hydration helps reduce muscle pain because it helps flush out the toxins released by overworked muscles. It also helps reduce strains and pain in the first place, because hydration means your body is lubricated. So you’ll have a greater range of motion and won’t hurt yourself. It’s also a good idea to add some electrolytes to add in faster muscle recovery.

Do Some Light Stretching

Now the last thing you probably feel like doing is moving. However, some movement can help because overtime it will help reduce the build up of toxins and lactic acid in your body. Stretching is a great way to help relieve the soreness and stiffness as well. The key is to keep it light so that you don’t overextend your body. Some really basic yoga poses like the extended mountain, child’s pose, or seated forward bend can help.

If you’re experiencing DOMS, it’s probably time to consider working with a personal trainer. Our certified personal trainer at Everlasting Changes will help ensure that when you workout you feel great afterwards. We offer one on one and group fitness training sessions to meet your personal needs.

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.

…is that you cannot control it.

Do you disagree?

Go stand on a scale and decide to lose 5 pounds.

How’d that work out for you? Did the number drop on command, or did it not budge? Of course it didn’t budge.

And yet you spend your precious time obsessing about your weight as if you could magically control it.

The good news is that you do have complete control over a couple of important things that influence your weight.These are your choices about diet & exercise.

Think about this…your current weight is the sum result of your choices in eating and exercise.

Take a minute to think back over the last three years of your life. What kinds of foods did you eat most often? How intensely did you exercise, for how long, and how often?

Now look at yourself in a full-length mirror. You are looking directly at the result of your past choices.

If you are pleased with what you see then keep on eating and exercising the way you have been. It’s working for you!

If you’re not satisfied with what you see, then it’s time to start making different choices about food and exercise. Here are some suggestions:

Healthy food choices:

Choose to eat wholesome foods that nourish your body.
Choose to only eat when you’re hungry and to stop eating when full.
Choose to not eat junk food, sugary drinks or sweets.
Choose to eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

Healthy exercise choices…

Choose to get up early in the morning, when you could be sleeping, to invest an hour of your time in exercise.


Choose to be consistent with your workout schedule, giving exercise the same importance as a doctor’s appointment.

Choose to change your workout routine often, to always keep your muscles guessing.
Choose to push yourself to new levels of intensity, in order to strengthen and tone your muscles.

Don’t spend another minute obsessing about the number on your scale. You are way smarter than that.

Focus your energy on the choices you make regarding what you eat and how you exercise. If you don’t know where to begin then please reach out to me, I’m here for you.

Call or email me today and we will get you started on an effective exercise program today!

The Ugly Truth About Emotional Eating

It happens with most of us.

You have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day… and at the end of it you turn to food.

There’s a reason that it’s called comfort food. While you’re eating it you feel better.

And when you’re done eating it you feel worse.

Keep this in mind next time you are tempted to turn to food for comfort:

Emotional eating temporarily relieves distress and then makes it impossible to attain what you really want.

20 Minute Creamy Chicken Soup

I know it can be difficult to get a healthy, homemade dinner on the table after a long, busy day of work. That’s why recipes like this one are so wonderful to have on hand – it only takes a few minutes and tastes fantastic.

By using flavorful ingredients, like roasted red bell peppers and white bean hummus, this soup tastes like you slaved over it all afternoon– but really takes less than 20 minutes to throw together. This recipe is a great way to fit some quinoa into your diet. Quinoa is a protein-packed seed that is considered a “super food”. It’s s a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids, and is gluten free.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need

Serves 5

1 cup roasted red bell peppers
3/4 cup white bean hummus
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
dash salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Take 1/4 cup of the roasted red peppers, slice into strips and set aside.

2. Place the remaining red peppers in a blender along with the hummus and chicken stock. Blend until smooth.

3. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil.

5. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the slices of red pepper and chopped parsley.

Nutrition

One serving equals 248 calories, 11g fat, 644mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 20g protein

Call us now for 3 risk-free, complimentary sessions. We include a 30-day guarantee on all of our packages.

There’s no big secret to weight loss. No matter how many trendy diets or quick “cures” people invent, it’s simple. To lose weight and keep it off, you need to eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise. So why is it so hard for some of us? We know what we need to do but we just can’t get there for some reason. If there was a secret to weight loss, we would say that it’s friendship. Friendship is the ultimate lifestyle motivator and a good friend can help you lose weight. Here’s how:

You’ll Have A Partner In Crime

Making a kale smoothie and running on a treadmill for a half hour doesn’t sound very fun for most of us. However, trying out smoothie recipes with a friend and then going for a run together where you can catch up sounds like a fun afternoon. That’s because when you share your fitness goals with a friend, eating right and working out isn’t a chore anymore. It becomes a social activity where you’ll have a ton of fun.

Temptations Will Be Reduced

When we hang out with our friends we often go out to eat together or hit the bars. These two activities are full of unhealthy temptations. However, if you have a fitness friend, you can skip these activities while still getting social time. Instead of grabbing a calorie-loaded cocktail, you can go for a hike or try a new sport together. You’ll also have someone to call for backup when you are feeling tempted by a sweet treat or a cold beer.

You’ll Hold Each Other Accountable

Being accountable to only yourself is tough. Sure, a lot of us are self-motivated, but even then it can be a bummer to celebrate your victories alone. Friendship can help you stay accountable. Friends always want the best for you, so they’ll encourage you to stay on track. They’ll also be there to help you reach your goals. Finally, when you do hit that landmark, you’ll have someone cheering you on to the next phase.

Friendship can help you lose weight. However, it can be hard to make fitness friends sometimes, especially if you are a busy professional or new to the Charlotte area. If you are looking to make a fitness friend to support your weight loss goals, we recommend taking a small group fitness class. Our small group fitness classes at Everlasting Changes are the perfect place to make friends. They are small enough that you can really get to know people, but large enough you may make an entire group of fitness friends who can help you achieve your goals.

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.

Sleep is really important for a healthy lifestyle. However, sometimes, especially during stressful periods, we can end up battling insomnia. One of the best ways to overcome insomnia is to workout. Working out helps you battle insomnia in a number of ways. First, physical exercise can tire out your body, helping you fall asleep faster. It also releases endorphins which can reduce the stress that may be causing your insomnia. Finally, exercise raises your core temperature. When your temperature drops back to normal, it triggers your sleep cycle.

Even though regular exercise is a great way to battle insomnia, there are some rules our personal trainers recommend following to make sure it really helps:

1. Follow A Regular Schedule: When you plan your workouts, it’s important to workout around the same time every day. Putting yourself on this schedule helps you set your biological clock. If you workout every day after work at 5pm, then go to bed at 10pm, you’ll train your body to recognize when it is time do physical activity and when it is time to sleep.

2. Workout At The Right Time: If you workout right before bed, your core body temperature will still be high. So it will be difficult to fall asleep. The ideal time frame to workout when you are battling insomnia is between 4-8 hours. This will give your body time for your core temperature to start dropping and help you fall asleep.

3. Incorporate A Quick Morning Workout: Morning workouts have a tone of benefits. They can help get your blood flowing and release endorphins so you start your day off right. Morning workouts can also help support your sleep cycle. As soon as we wake up, our bodies begin preparing for the next sleep cycle. When you get up in the morning and do a quick workout, you are signaling to your body your day has begun and in 16 hours, you’ll be ready to rest again.

4. Do Iso-Lateral Exercises: If you’ve ever noticed that exercise only helps you battle insomnia sometimes, there’s a reason. The workouts that best help battle insomnia cause nervous system fatigue. One workout technique that is good for helping wear you out is iso-lateral exercise. Iso-lateral exercise only works one side of the body at a time. These exercises force your body to balance the weight by overcompensating. The overcompensation leads to fatigue.

If you follow these tips, then you’ll find a marked difference in your sleep patterns. Our Charlotte personal trainers understand that fitness isn’t just about losing weight or gaining muscle tone. Fitness is about living the healthiest life possible. When you work with us, you won’t just experience a body transformation. You’ll also get a full lifestyle overhaul. Whether you are fighting insomnia or simply looking to drop a few pounds, we’ll help.

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.

This question might make you squirm, but let’s ask it anyway…

Are you wasting time in the gym?

Do you regularly push yourself to the limit? Do you feel the burn with each rep? Do you have nothing left to give when it’s over?

Or would you describe your routine more like a comfortable trot? Do you coast along, breaking a respectable sweat while doing the same old thing?

Since you are spending a portion of your valuable time exercising, I assume that you have goals and aspirations for your body. And I also assume that if you had the option to achieve that leaner, more toned body even faster you’d jump at it!

The following tips are going to show you how to spend less time exercising, while achieving quicker, more noticeable results. Sound good?

Be Focused. It sounds obvious, but this crucial requirement for an effective workout is often overlooked. Don’t be one of those people who exercise their jaw muscles (from chit chatting) more than any other muscles. When you’re lifting weights, focus on that specific muscle group. Researchers have proven significant increase in muscle activity when people focused on what they were doing, compared to thinking about unrelated topics.

Be Confused. Err, more specifically your muscles should be confused. Do this by changing up your routine often. This helps to avoid plateaus and to continuously challenge your body. Try new exercises at new intensities and new weights.

Be Nourished and Hydrated. Stay on top of your food and your hydration levels. The best results are achieved when you’re drinking enough water and eating real, wholesome foods.

Be Strategic. The time of day that you exercise makes a huge difference in your results. And no, I’m not going to say that there’s a universal ‘right time’ to work out. Your job is to figure out when your body is at its best and to make that the time that you consistently exercise. If you’re not a morning person, then don’t force yourself to wake up at 5am, try working out after work instead.

Be Watched. There’s a benefit to working out in a group setting. Researchers saw a significant increase in strength and endurance in the people who had an audience versus those training on their own.

Be Caffeinated. Caffeine has been shown to help burn fat and to increase endurance. If you don’t have any medical conditions that would otherwise make moderate caffeine intake unsafe, then drink a caffeinated beverage one hour prior to working out.

Be Pumped Up. Check this out: researchers found that music motivated weightlifters to complete two more repetitions on average than those who were not listening to music. That’s a great reason to listen to upbeat music while you exercise.

Be Comfortable. Not only will you be happy to put comfortable workout clothes on, but you will also be able to focus better on your workout, rather than wondering if your pants will split when you squat.

Be Smart. If you’re not already one of my valued clients, then now is the time to become one. Working with a professional ensures that you’re being challenged and are seeing results. And that’s just smart, right?

If you don’t know where to start when it comes to exercise, I’m here to help.

It’s my passion to make exercise a part of your life that you look forward to and are rewarded by.

Call or email me today and we will get you started on the exercise program that completely transforms your body.

I Exercise Because…

Do you have a goal for each of your workouts? Having a goal is more important than you may think.

When each session is goal-oriented, you’ll get the most out of your exercise time.

Decide how long you’ll go for, how many reps you’ll do and at what intensity before your workout begins. Then go for it.

To take it a step further, set clear goals, write them down, and keep a record of your workouts. There’s nothing quite like knowing exactly where you want to be, where you currently are, and what you’ve achieved.

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

What you need

Serves 4

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!

Nutrition

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

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.

A toned, lean stomach is the ultimate sign of a fitness plan that’s working.

It’s also one of the hardest things to achieve.

Maybe you’ve given up on your abs after doing thousands of crunches only to see zero results. I honestly don’t blame you.
It’s time that you forget everything you’ve heard about how to sculpt your abs. The truth is that crunches simply won’t give you a six-pack. Ever.

Doing crunches with the hope that it will turn your midsection into a washboard is to operate under the most widely held fitness myth. I’m talking about the spot reducing myth. Here’s the truth: training one area of your body will not specifically burn fat from that area.

Even those who have heard that spot reducing is a myth often still train as if it is true. So here’s the hard truth that you need to face: Doing crunches will not magically make your tummy shrink, it will not cause your muffin top to melt away, and it will not give you washboard abs.

Only a reduction in body fat will do that for you.

So want the secret to great abs? Drop some body fat with a of fat burning cardio, resistance training, and clean eating.

It is very possible for you to dramatically shape up your midsection. Yes, I’m talking to Y-O-U. Weight loss is not reserved only for the people you see on the Biggest Loser or on exercise equipment infomercials. You can do it too.

Let’s determine if your current routine is getting you closer to that six-pack, or if you have simply been burning time. Answer the following two questions to find out…

How many times per week do you exercise? If you answered with anything less than 4 fat burning workouts per week then that’s the first thing getting between you and streamline abs. What is a fat burning workout? A routine that incorporates intense cardiovascular training with challenging resistance training. Does this describe what you do?

I’m sorry to be the one to break this to you but walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a comfortable pace isn’t a fat blasting routine. Neither is a leisurely, not-a-drop-of-sweat 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. The truth is that exercising smart allows you to dramatically increase your results while spending less time in the gym.

Cardio exercise is most beneficial when done at an effective level of intensity. This doesn’t mean that you should be gasping for air. It does mean that you need to dig down and push yourself. Every time.

Resistance training is the second vital part to a workout that burns fat. This means working your major muscle groups against resistance in a way that challenges you and stimulates your metabolism. The key here is to find the right intensity and to keep each muscle group guessing.

Do you eat clean? Diet is the number one reason that most people don’t have great abs. If your diet is out of control, then your abs will be too. To trim your waist, start by trimming the junk out of your diet, regardless of how hard you exercise.

-Don’t eat too much. Do you know approximately how many calories you eat each day? The best way to find out is to record every single thing that you eat for a few days. Take those numbers and do an evaluation—feel free to recruit me to help out with this part. Together we’ll come up with improvements for your diet and adjust your calories for maximum results.

-Cut out the junk. While this may seem obvious, your definition of “junk food” may need to be updated. Start with anything that contains sugar. Refined sugar is one of the biggest ingredients in the junk food world—it is found in soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, packaged snacks, and other sweet treats. Processed fat is another monster to avoid. As a rule of thumb, view all processed or refined items as junk food, and kick them to the curb.

-Eat when hungry. You’ve been told to never let your metabolism “crash” by going hours without eating, but it turns out that all-day snacking may be counter-productive. Instead of trying to schedule meals and snacks for certain times throughout your day go with how your body feels. If you are hungry then have a small, protein-based snack. If you aren’t hungry then don’t force a snack on yourself in the name of fueling your metabolism.

Now you know why just crunches will not get you the abs of your dreams. While it is important to exercise your abs a couple of times a week, don’t expect fat to fall of that area after thousands of crunches.

If you seriously want to flatten and sculpt your waist then all you have to do is decide that you really want it. Commit to yourself. You deserve it.

Come see me for fat blasting workouts that deliver the results you want. Together we will get you on a program that will melt the fat off your abs, exposing shape and definition—with visible results.

Call or email me today for a no obligation consultation. I’m here to propel you towards your fitness and fat loss goals.

Let’s get you started on a fitness program that will get you on the fast track to your best abs ever.

Never, Ever, Ever Give Up!

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. The truth is that lifestyle changes aren’t easy to make, and that transformations don’t happen overnight. There’s a good chance that you’ll have occasional setbacks. But don’t even think of giving up!

If you never give up, then you won’t fail.

Each day is a new chance to start over. Begin each day with the resolve to make your new healthy lifestyle a priority. Results will soon follow.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Quick Apple Chutney

Reducing the starchy carbs in your dinner is a proven way to stimulate weight loss. This means making changes like using lettuce leaves instead of tortillas and swapping out rice for shredded cauliflower.

Dinners like these Turkey Lettuce Wraps will help you quickly reach your fat loss goal. The shredded cauliflower, rice and onions in this recipe make an amazing substitution for grain-based pilaf. With the addition of lean, ground turkey and lettuce this comfort-food tasting meal is actually quite lean and green.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need

Serves 6

12 large Romaine lettuce leaves

For the Cinnamon Ground Turkey Rice:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 yellow onion, minced
dash of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 lb ground, organic turkey
1 head cauliflower, shredded (To shred: cut into florets and run through a food processor with the grating attachment)
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 cup chicken broth
dash of freshly ground pepper

For the Quick Apple Chutney:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 green apples, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon coconut crystals
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
sprinkle of sea salt

Instructions

1. For the Cinnamon Ground Turkey Rice: In a large skillet place the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and onions, cook for 3 minutes, until soft. Add salt, cinnamon and ground turkey. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add the head of shredded cauliflower, raisins, broth and pepper. Cook for another 4 minutes, until heated through.

2. For the Quick Apple Chutney: In a medium skillet place the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and apples. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover, add the cinnamon, coconut crystals, apple juice and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for another 4 minutes until apples are tender.

3. Assemble Your Lettuce Wraps: Spread a generous spoonful of the turkey mixture along the center of a Romaine lettuce leaf, top with a spoonful of chutney. Enjoy

Nutrition

One serving equals: 248 calories, 9g fat, 156mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 17g protein

If you love outdoor workouts, summer can be both a blessing and a curse. The warmer weather makes it easier to do things outside, but it also puts you at risk of overheating. If you’re planning out working out this summer, here are some tips from our personal trainers in Ballantyne that can help you stay cool in the North Carolina sun:

1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Anytime you workout you need to stay hydrated. However, it is especially important when working out outside during the summertime. The North Carolina heat and humidity can quickly sap your body of moisture and electrolytes. So make sure to not just drink plenty of water but to also supplement your electrolytes.

2. Check The Weather Report

Before heading out, always check the weather report. Knowing what the weather will do can help you plan the ideal time to workout when it will be the coolest. Also, if there is a heat advisory, a high pollen count, or a summer storm brewing, you may want to stay indoors that day.

3. Workout In The Mornings

The hottest part of the day is generally between 10am and 3pm. So you’re more than likely going to want to workout outside of that time period. If you are dodging the heat, pick the mornings over a late night workout. It is better for your energy levels and sleep cycle to workout outside in the mornings than the evenings.

4. Wear Loose-Fitting, Light-Colored Clothing

What you wear can make a huge difference in your workouts. Light-colored clothing stay cooler than dark-colored clothing. While clothes that are loose-fitting are going to be more comfortable. In the summer, we sweat more and that sweat can get trapped in our clothing. If the clothing is too tight it can be uncomfortable and chafe against our skin.

5. Apply Sunscreen

Make sure to keep yourself protected against the damaging sun’s rays. Working out in the summer often means we’re wearing less clothing than normal, so it’s important to apply sunscreen to any areas of our body that will be exposed.

6. Stay In The Shade

Try to plan your workout in the shade. If you’re hitting a trail to run, pick one with lots of trees. If you are working out in your backyard, find a spot in the shade of your house. A little bit of shade will go along way to keeping you cool.

Working out outside is great way to get your exercise in, you just have to know how to stay cool. At Everlasting Change our Ballantyne personal trainers offer a variety of great tips and techniques for our clients. We can help you master any workout, inside or out. Call us now for 3 risk-free, complimentary sessions. We include a 30-day guarantee on all of our packages.

The Greek island of Santorini, located in the southern Aegean Sea, is home to breathtaking sunsets and cliffside towns with narrow, cobbled streets. It is currently one of the top tourist destinations in the world, hosting millions of visitors each year, with only 15,000 permanent residents.

Those permanent residents are easily distinguished from tourists. Just look for the most agile and lean, moving swiftly through the hard-to-navigate, steep terrain. The people of Santorini are in phenomenal shape.

Living in a cliffside city means walking up hundreds, if not thousands, of stairs every single day. For many it means pushing or carrying crates of water up steep inclines to homes and hotels, since the tap water is unsafe to drink.

Live in Santorini and you’d quickly have a chiseled, beach-ready body.

It really goes to show you that your lifestyle creates the body that have. And while I don’t expect you to drop everything to move to a cliffside town in order to achieve your fat loss goals, there is a valuable lesson here.

The truth is that regardless of where you live, your lifestyle is something that you control. If you want your body to look or feel differently, then all you need to do is change the daily habits that make up your routine.

For the people of Santorini that means fighting gravity by moving their bodies up and down cliffsides every day. For you it could mean adding in that hour of exercise that you’ve been telling yourself you should do. Or cutting out that sugary snack you gravitate towards after dinner each night.

Here are 5 lifestyle factors to consider…

1. TV Time: Many people are in the habit of sitting in front of the TV for hours on end after a stressful day at work. Yes, you may be worn out and need a break, but sitting on the couch, zoned out, watching TV is not the way to lose weight.

If you must watch the evening news or see your favorite show, use the time to burn a few calories. Keep some hand weights next to the couch and work your biceps and triceps. Stand up and do some squats or lunges to work your legs and buttocks. Get on the floor and do some sit-ups to tone your abs or push-ups to tone your arms. Make a change!

2. Sleep: Most adults need an average of eight hours of sleep each night. Is that a lot more than what you’re currently getting? Then you may be interested to know that if you’re not getting adequate amounts of rest, you’re more likely to be hungry, overeat, and gain weight.

How does this work? Something like this.

If you’re tired, you won’t feel like cooking a healthy meal, and you’ll opt for fast (fattening) food instead. This very same lack of energy will also likely cause you to skip a workout. On top of that, sleep deprivation causes your metabolism to slow down, which promotes fat storage.

3. Drink Choices: Lasting weight loss is about changes. Unfortunately, some of the changes one must make are difficult. If you’re one of the millions hooked on soda, alcohol, or other sweetened beverages, your weight goals may remain out of reach until you replace these drinks with water. You should also know that your brain often confuses thirst with hunger.

So at the first sign of hunger, don’t grab a snack or calorie-filled drinks. Instead, grab a glass of water.

4. Breakfast: Want to know a secret to successful weight loss? Eat breakfast! Try cutting calories by skipping breakfast, and you’ll be excessively hungry by mid-morning. As a result, the healthy calories you would have eaten at breakfast are replaced with calorie-filled snacks and an over-sized lunch.

Once again, fitting breakfast into your busy schedule may mean dramatic lifestyle changes. But research shows that the habit of eating a healthy breakfast is key to losing weight and keeping pounds off. Get to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual and set your alarm 10 minutes earlier to give yourself time to eat breakfast.

5. Physical Activity: Weight loss is about burning more calories than you consume. Remember the people of Santorini and their all-day exercise! Therefore, it should make sense to you that dieting and exercise must go hand in hand. If you want to speed up fat loss and keep it off, add or increase the amount and intensity of physical activity in your daily life.

For many people, this is the most difficult lifestyle change of all, but the benefits are well work it. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of intense exercise on most days of the week. When exercise is a normal part of your everyday routine, it’s more likely to stick, and your body will become slimmer and more toned.

The quickest and most permanent weight loss comes as a result of a combination of healthy eating and consistent, challenging workouts.

I’m here to help you meet your fitness and weight loss goals.

Call or email today to get started on a fitness program that will get you on the fast track to your best body ever.

Stick With It

These five lifestyle changes aren’t always easy to make, and change won’t happen overnight. Chances are, you’ll have occasional setbacks. But don’t give up!

Each day is a new beginning, and it starts out with no mistakes in it. Begin each morning with the resolve to not only stick with your healthy eating habits, but your lifestyle changes as well.

If you aren’t happy with your current body then feel free to reach out to me. It’s my goal to help each and every one of my clients achieve their best body ever.

You’ll see quick and satisfying fitness results when you join my exercise program.

Call or email today – let’s get started!

Mango Chutney Chicken Salad

This summer salad is a refreshing way to serve chicken. Tender mango chutney, creamy Greek yogurt and fresh, crunchy greens make this one tasty meal. While typically creamy dishes contain loads of fat and extra calories, this one stays healthy with the use of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need

Serves 5

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger root, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 ripe mangoes, chopped
Juice from 2 limes
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Dash of salt and pepper
3 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
4 cups salad greens

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger root and sauté for a minute.

2. Add the onion and bell peppers and sauté for a few minutes.

3. Add the mango and spices. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes, until everything has softened.

4. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. Combine the yogurt, mustard, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Place the chopped chicken in a medium sized bowl and mix in the yogurt blend.

6. Prepare each plate with a pile of greens topped with a scoop of chicken and a spoonful of chutney.

Nutrition

One mini muffin equals: 286 calories, 6 fat, 185mg sodium, 22g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, and 35g protein.

When you’re a busy professional, tension headaches can be part of your life. When you get a tension headache, it’s natural to just reach for some medicine and go lie down in a dark room. However, working out may be a better way to relieve your tension headache. Tension headaches are caused by muscle tension from stress. Working out relieves that muscle tension. It also helps relieve the stress that caused the tension. Plus, exercising helps increase the blood flow which can also help ease some of the pain.

In order to get relief for a tension headache from exercise, you’ll want to do low impact exercises. Since you’re in pain, it can be difficult to do a full fledged workout. You’ll also need to make sure that you take the time to properly warm up before working out. That will help you ease into working out when you are in pain. Here are some options our personal trainers recommend for relieving tension headaches.

Yoga: Yoga is a great workout for tension headaches because it is meditative, focuses on breathing, and stretches out your muscles. You’ll want to focus on poses that help relieve stress in your head, neck, and back. We recommend:

● Cat/cow pose
● Eagle arms
● Child’s pose
● Standing Forward Fold
● Dolphin Pose
● Reverse Prayer
● Seated Spine Twist

Light Cardio: Another great option is light cardio. Walking on a treadmill, low impact cycling, or a slower session on the elliptical can help release the tension. If you don’t have access to the gym because you are at work, you can take a walk around the neighborhood.

Resistance Training: Resistance training is great for relieving tension. Grab a set of resistance bands and work your arms, shoulders, and back. Working with resistance bands daily can also help prevent headaches as well. So if you get them frequently, you should consider adding upper body resistance training to your routine. Talk to your personal trainer for some tips.

Finally, if your headache is so bad that you can’t imagine working out, a foam roller can be really helpful. Using a foam roller on your head, neck, and back can help you relax while removing the physical tension causing your headache.

Working out regularly can help you reduce your stress and may help prevent your tension headaches. To find a workout that fits into your busy life, contact Everlasting Changes. Our personal trainers in Charlotte will work with you to make sure that your work out works for you. Call us now for 3 risk-free, complimentary sessions. We include a 30-day guarantee on all of our packages.