New Shoes Anyone?

Shoes are SO important when you are working out! If you have the wrong shoes you may get one of the many ankle, knee, foot, and leg injuries. We have a great deal with Runners Block, they give us 15% off of anything in the store (shoes and clothes)! They also have a great sale rack that is usually 50% off! Anyway, if you or anyone in your family needs a new pair of shoes or workout clothes let me know. Christmas present maybe??? I would love to set up a time so they can close the store and give us their full attention! Please post below if you are interested! This is for new and old clients! Let me know! Have a great day!

Pomegranates...Good and Good for You!

If you have not tried a Pomegranate yet...what are you waiting for? They are not only a yummy snack but they are so good for you!!!

Pom is a high fiber fruit full of Vitamin C and Potassium, they are also high in polyphenosis, a type of antioxidant that is GREAT for you!

To cut them...cut the top off of the Pomegranate-about a 1/2 inch from the crown then cut into sections. Put sections in water and roll out the arils (yummy seeds). Last, strain water, then eat the yummy seeds! Be careful this yummy fruit will stain! FYI...OXI is great for removing the pomegranate stains!

There are so many things you can do with Pomegranates! I like to just eat them as a snack! But you can do some research and find many great recipes online!

I have told you before that I do not recommend drinking alcohol when trying to lose weight but if you are going to have one-try a Pomtini! This Pomtini is also great without the Stoli!

Holiday Pomtini

3/4 0z freshly squeezed pomegranate juice

1 0z Stoli Orange

squeeze of lime juice

lime twist to garnish

Mocktini (no alcohol)

Pom Princess

3/8 cup fresh pomegranate juice

3/8 lemon Crystal lite

1 1/2 oz sparkling water

Mint sprig and lemon to garnish

If you need a healthy and easy appitizer to take to a party...This is one of my favorite Apps!

Goat Cheese and Pomegranate stuffed Celery

1/2 cup pom arils (fruit/seeds from Pom)

6 large celery stalks

4 oz goat cheese (room temperature)

4 teaspoons of green onion (shoots only)

capers (optional)

Directions:

Mix Cheese, capers, and green onions together, spread on celery, and sprinkle Pom seeds on cheese mix. Serve cold! Soooo refreshing, light, and tasty!

So try a pomegranate today--you'll love it!

FYI...They are only around until the end of January. Enjoy!

If you have any other fun and easy Pom recipes...feel free to post them!

No Excuses!

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. -Franklin

I was reading some different fitness blogs and I found this article about no excuses! Good to read!

Where there is a will there is a way. When you truly desire something there is nothing that you are incapable of doing. Whether it is fighting an illness, losing weight, or improving overall health, we are capable of doing these things and so much more. Yet we often feel like victims of our circumstances and stay stuck in our ruts. It is easy to give “reasons” for being overweight, unhappy, unhealthy, and trapped.

In my experience it has been the people who have quit making excuses, and changed their habits that are successful in achieving what they are determined to accomplish. The ones who do not take responsibility and make a conscious effort to improve their situation do not experience the same positive change in their lives or their bodies. For these individuals fitness and nutrition continues to be a frustrating experience.

You have to really want it, or you won’t do it. Decide what is it that you want and then feel a burning desire to have it. Focus your attention and excitement on this thing. When a healthy body and a happy life become your main focus your actions will change to reflect this new focus. When your actions change, your body and your life will begin to change. But, this will not occur until you stop making excuses and solve any problems that are holding you back for living a healthy life. Time is usually scarce so think of creative ways to fit in small amounts of exercise into your daily activities.

For every problem, there is a solution when you take the time to find one. If you find yourself blaming something or someone else for not living healthy, stop yourself and think of what you could do differently. Make health a priority and the excuses will go away.

Thanks Total Mommy Fitness for this great article!

Make the Change Today!

With the holidays around the corner, I thought I’d blog about some serious food for thought…the prevalence of health related problems from American women being overweight. Here are some truly terrifying facts.

* Twenty years ago the average woman was 5′ 3″ and weighed about 122 lbs. Today the average woman is about 5′ 4″ and weighs 142 lbs
* The average woman is eating over 300 more calories per day than she did 20 years ago
* 60% of women in the US are overweight - that’s a majority, Ladies!!!
* One in three women is obese
* There has been a 15% increase in obesity in women in the last 10 years
* There has been a 32% increase in diabetes in women in the last 10 years
* In the 5 years after menopause the average sedentary woman will gain 1.2 lbs per year — mostly in the abdominal area
* Being overweight is associated with a host of problems (fitting into a bikini being by far the least of them), including:

Heart disease
Stroke
Arthritis
High blood pressure
Gallbladder disease
Infertility
Some kinds of cancer

If you or someone you love is significantly overweight, please view it as the health problem that it is and take steps to lose weight and get healthy. Even slight reductions in body weight can reduce your risk of developing these life threatening conditions.

Start TODAY, our clients have made incredible strides and lost a great amount of pounds. Certainly you can do it — just one healthier choice at a time…eating lean protein, veggies, and fruit with each meal, stopping before your feel stuffed, reducing junk food and empty calories, cutting back on alcohol and soda, drinking lots of water, walking for at least 20 min…working out with us (CARDIO AND STRENGTH TRAINING)...whatever you can do.

It is scary... We are slowly and steadily losing an entire generation of women to illnesses that we are causing ourselves. We are the only ones that can change this! Do this for yourself, your children, and our future as strong healthy women! Make the change!

DECIDE*COMMIT*SUCCEED!

I hope this made you think and want to make that change! We are here to help you with that change! Let us know if you need anything! Have a great day and think "I am going to live healthy today!" See you in class!

Holidays and Fitness

With the holidays just around the corner, it is more important than ever to be extra diligent regarding your fitness routine. It is so easy to overeat and slack off during this time of the year.
With all of the scrumptious foods and chaos that the holidays entail we find it too easy to overeat and not find time to exercise. Cooking, baking, shopping and holiday gatherings take up a great deal of our time that some people tend to put exercise on the back burner. It is a busy time and important to spend time with the people that you care for, but letting your regular exercise
regimen slide will put on added pounds and decrease your flexibility.



Stick with us through the holidays and beyond! You will see results and feel so much better about yourself! If you need any tips on healthier food for the holidays please post...I will be more than happy to help you! Have a great day!

Weight Lifting Mistakes...

So in our class we use 10lb + and want to make sure everyone is on the same page! As I spoke in an older blog weights are not going to bulk you up...they are going to make you stronger, tone up, and help burn more fat (which I know is want we all want)! But we can easily sabotage our efforts by making some common mistakes. These mistakes can slow you down on making your goal —and could lead to injury (we don't want that!).

Watch out for these slip-ups the next time you lift weights:

1) Not using enough weight.
A 2004 study found that beginners often lift too little weight to reap the benefits of strength training. Experts advise selecting a weight that is 60-70% of the most weight you could lift in a single repetition. At 60%, you should be able to 15-25 reps before fatigue sets in or your form breaks down.

2) Neglecting your legs. (This is a common mistake...but not in our class! We don't neglect the legs!
A lot of people think running and biking with strengthen their legs. According to Runner’s World, it’s “precisely because you use your legs so much that you need to strengthen them.” You can strengthen them with squats, squat jumps, lunges, and using free weights--again which we do in class!

3) Failing to maintain a stable core when working free weights.
It is important to have a engaged core when lifting weights! Good posture is key to maintaining a stable core and proper form. Improper form not only undermines the goal of the exercise, it can also cause injury. If you use your back to swing the weight during a bicep curl, for example, you won’t stimulate the bicep and you could strain your back. Remember strong belly means strong back...and visa versa!

4) Doing your repetitions too quickly, with too much momentum.
When you swing the weights too fast, you create momentum and decrease the load on the muscle. The goal is to overload the muscle so that the fibers break down. “That’s what causes the muscle to repair itself, leading to increased muscle mass, a higher metabolism and decreased body fat,” a fitness instructor told the LA Times.

5) Limiting your range of motion.
Use the full range of motion in each move. If you don’t bend your knees deeply enough in a squat, for example, you won’t get the full toning benefits in the thighs and butt. So squat nice and deep!

6) Sticking with the machines. (we don't have to worry about this one...unless you are another gym member...We love free weights!)
Machines are great for focusing on isolated muscles, but free weights work more of your body (and burn more calories). A weight machine usually provides some, if not all, of the necessary stability for a move. Free weights require you to stabilize yourself—that strengthens your core and improves your balance.

We are always watching you to make sure you are doing the right moves and pushing to lift heavier weights and now you know why...it works!! We will push you to your limit because we want you to get the full benefit...not because we want you to be sore (even though we love that "Good Sore" feeling and so do you!).

Watch for these mistakes, listen to your body, and push yourself and you will see results from all your hard work! We are proud of all our clients and think you rock! We are always here to help! Have a great day and we will see you in class!

Mexican White Turkey Chili Recipe -YUMMY!

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 pound hot and spicy pork sausage
3 (4 ounce) cans canned green chile peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
ground cayenne pepper to taste
ground white or black pepper to taste
3 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
1 (15 ounce) great northern beans
2 (15 ounce) white hominy
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
*queso fresca cojita cheese (crumble up for a topping)
*1 bunch cilantro -chopped
*sour cream
*olive oil
* low carb tortilla or corn tortilla
*1 1/2 chopped jalapeno

*Optional --but in my opinion..MAKES it!!!


Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, combine the onions, sausage, garlic, jalapeno, and ground turkey and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is well browned. Add the chile peppers, cumin, oregano,, cayenne pepper to taste and white pepper to taste and saute for 5 more minutes.
Add all beans (except one cannellini) and hominy and the chicken broth to the pot. Take the last can of beans and puree them in a blender or food processor. Add this to the pot along with the cheese. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

Saute sliced up tortilla in olive oil and salt to taste

Top with chopped cilantro, queso fresca cojita cheese, dollop of sour cream and sauteed tortillas

This is so delicious and only takes like 20 minutes to cut, cook, and enjoy!!!

Times and Turkey Day

We need your help...If you could pick your ideal times to workout, what would they be? We are very close to getting the Stewart building down town Sioux Falls and want to provide the best times for our clients!
What would be the best time for:
Circuit Training Program?
Mommy & Me & Mom to be?
B.E.A.S.T. (high school and...... college co-ed athletes)

If you know anyone that would be interested in any of these programs please help us get the word out!

Circuit Training (hr long intense and fun workout)
Mommy & Me & Mom to be (hr long speaks for it self)
B.E.A.S.T. (hr long intense circuit for high school and college athletes)

Thanks so much for your help and your input!!!

www.http://bictsiouxfalls.com

ALSO...

Who wants to work out Thanksgiving morning at 8AM in Sioux Falls (Brandon friends...come and join us too!)? We are thinking we will have workouts M - Th that week and take off Friday and Saturday! Who is in? Please post and let us know if you will join us in working out before the feast! Have a great day and we will see you in class.

Women...Your Not going to Bulk Up!

Some of you have voiced your concerns that you think you may look like a body builder after 8 weeks of our class....I am here to tell you YOUR NOT! In fact lifting weights will only benefit you and here is how:

Lifting weights will make you physically stronger. This has benefits that go beyond the obvious, such as carrying in the groceries or wrestling with a tight jar lid – and means that you will be less dependent upon others in your daily living. (It also makes it easier to wrestle with that crazy toddler – but don’t tell them that!)

Lifting weights will help you lose body fat. The average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for two months will gain nearly two pounds of muscle and will lose 3-5 pounds of fat. As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism, and you burn more calories all day long. That’s a win for me!

Lifting weights won’t cause you to bulk up. Women have less of the hormones that cause muscle bulk, so lifting will help the muscles to define and this helps your clothes both fit and look better.

Lifting will decrease your risk of osteoporosis. Research has found that weight training can increase bone mineral density by 13 percent in six months. This, coupled with taking your daily calcium, means less bone fractures later in life.

Lifting weights helps improve your attitude and mood. Women who strength train feel more confident and capable, both of which are important factors in fighting depression.

So if you are gaining weight take a look at what your eating. Use your food log or use thedailyplate.com to log your food (and print it out). Do it for a week and keep working out as hard as you are! Then after a week show me your log and I can help more! This is a no fail plan so let us know if you need anything...we are here to help!

Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe- YUMMY!

Dana sent us a great recipe and it is delicious! If you are in the mood for a tasty chicken dish...try this tonight! Quick, easy, HEALTHY, Oh my...so YUMMY! ~Thanks Dana!

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 (4-5 oz) chicken breasts
1 Laughing cow light cheese wedge (we used original, but french onion would be great as well!)
Sun Dried Tomatoes, packed in oil, rinsed
Fresh Rosemary
Garlic (we use the preminced kind for time, but fresh is just as good, if not better)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Dried Garlic, basil, parsley (basically whatever Italian seasonings you like!)
Cooking Spray

Turn oven on to 425*. Spray a glass baking dish with non stick spray. Take your chicken breasts and lay them between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a heavy skillet to flatten. Spread half of the laughing cow cheese wedge on each, followed by the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and rosemary (we used about 6 or so leaves from a sprig on each). Season generously with salt and pepper and roll up. Place seam side down in baking dish and spray the top with a small amount of cooking spray. Season with your choice of Italian seasonings. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until nice and browned on top.

This was a super delicious recipe and extremely quick and easy! Great for entertaining as well-you could serve as a plated entree to your guests or slice and put a toothpick in and serve as an appetizer! Use the seasonings, garlic, etc. to suite you tastes-I did not use any measurements.

Stuffed Peppers Recipe

If your in the mood for something DELICIOUS--try these stuffed peppers. If your watching your carbs-omit the rice, try adding a small can of mushrooms!

Ingredients:

Stuffed Peppers
4 large green peppers
1lb ground turkey
2-3 T chopped onion
*1 Cup cooked rice(optional) -Stacey uses Uncle Bens Long Grain & Wild Rice Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil-made with olive oil not butter!

*1 Cup Brown Rice (optional)
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1 Can RO-TEL tomatoes & green chilli's -give it that spice!

1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2-1C shredded 2% cheese or Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut peppers in half the long way, remove guts and rinse
Cook turkey and onion in skillet.
Stir in Rice, salt, garlic salt, RO-TEL, 1 cup spaghetti sauce, and simmer
Place peppers in shallow baking dish, stuff with turkey and rice mixture.
sprinkle with cheese if desired, pour spaghetti sauce over peppers.
Bake in oven covered for 45 minutes, uncovered 15

(Stacey likes her peppers more firm but if you prefer you can boil the peppers 5 minutes before stuffing to make them softer)

Thanks Stacey for the great recipes...keep them coming!

LOSE weight BEORE the holidays and KEEP it off!

There are a couple items I want to really drill into your subconscious with this newsletter.

One is a misconception you need to understand regarding cardio. The other contains five fundamental, yet very critical points to adhere to in order for you to achieve maximum fat loss results. If you've ever wondered why you can't drop weight even though you do cardio all the time...you're in for some intriguing info.

A lot of women have succumbed to the practice of doing more cardio, more cardio and even more cardio. All without the correlating fat loss they were hoping for. There's a reason their fat loss wasn't proportionate to the exercise duration. It has to do with three main contributors that involve calories. Here's why long steady state aerobic activity is inferior to an interval based approach.

1) Calories burned during exercise.

You'll simply burn more calories from performing at a higher exertion level. Intervals typically incorporate an effort level above 80% with a recovery period below 30%. Basically, work at 80% or more of your effort level for a particular exercise, then back it off to around 30%. Keep alternating high/low.

This approach to cardio was promoted heavily in the Body For Life program and for good reason, it flat out works.You're probably saying...ok, burn more calories by working harder. That's pretty obvious. BUT....This is the not so obvious part.

2) Calories burned after exercise.

An interval approach to cardio has been shown to increase post exercise caloric expenditure for up to 24-48 hours. Long duration hasn't.How would you like to burn more calories over the next 24 hrs just by changing the type of cardio you perform? Your arm should now be raised above your head :-)and

3) Long duration cardio decreases muscle mass.

When that happens, you burn fewer calories all day long. The less muscle you have the fewer calories you burn. The more you have, the faster your metabolism becomes. Shorter intervals of cardio actually promote lean muscle mass whereas long duration produces hormones that tear down your muscle tissue...again, not a favorable action if fat loss is your goal.

Now don't take this the wrong way and think you're going to get "Schwarzenegger" muscles. Won't happen! By putting your body in the most optimal situation to lose fat, you're actually promoting an environment for your body to preserve and potentially build lean muscle mass. Which is a good thing!

Ok, enough about cardio. Let's talk about five fundamentals you need to adhere to in order to realize your fat loss goals. Contributing to these five are some world renown fitness and nutrition experts by the names of John Berardi, Alwyn Cosgrove and Craig Ballantyne. These guys are major players in the world of fat loss.

Here we go with our five "must do" fundamentals.....

1) You fail to consider the consequences of your actions!

Either your food and exercise choices get you one step closer to your fat loss goals or they don't. You need to place either a positive or negative action on your choices. Once you get this down, you'll be heading in the right direction at record pace.

2) Control your blood sugar levels.

High blood sugar levels trigger your body to store fat! Plain as day. To keep them under control,eat every 2-4 hours, limit starchy carbs like potato,oatmeal, whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta to only the 2-3 hours after you exercise. At this time, you're body needs sugar to restore and recover from your exercise program. Other times,they're really not needed.

3) Eat more fruits and vegetables!

As Americans, we eat very few. Some studies show less than 1% of us gets 5 servings per day. WOW!Low sugar fruits like berries, oranges, apples and plums eaten in moderation are important. Forget the people who say fruit is bad. Anything consumed over and above what is necessary isn't good. So eat a small piece of fruit with some of your daily meals....preferably early in the day as fruit does contain natural sugars. I could go on and on about the benefits of vegetables, so I'll save it and just tell you to get some with every meal. They balance your bodies acidity level, increase your metabolism and provide lots of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fiber, photochemicals, and other micro-nutrients. Enough said.

4) Exercise with some intensity.

A Harvard study showed that intense exercise reduced death rates whereas low intensity exercise had little to no effect. Although your probably not directly concerned with that right now, the results you'll achieve from upping up your exercise intensity will be profound. Stop counting crossword puzzles as your daily exercise and exert yourself. :-)You just might be surprised how much you like the results!

5) Cover your nutritional bases.

Your fat loss efforts may be affected by your nutritional inadequacies. In order to maximize your efforts, make sure those nutritional gaps are filled. Take a multi vitamin/mineral once or twice day. Water soluble vitamins are flushed out of your system if not utilized so take one in the morning and again later in the day. Nothing mega dosage level...just normal RDA amounts.

Essential fats. It's estimated that over 80% of Americans are deficient. A study done in Ontario, Canada concluded that by supplementing with essential fats, individuals can raise their metabolism by up to 400 additional calories burned per day!! There are many benefits to taking essential fats. You can do your research, but not taking them will have a negative impact on your fat loss.

Protein. If you can't get the optimal levels in each day, then use a quality protein blend. Use it in shakes or in your oatmeal. Either way, you need to get a good portion at each meal.It not only helps stabilize your blood sugar, but assists in repairing your bodies many tissues in addition to the many other important hormonal roles it plays.

There's a couple others, but these are the "players". Here's what I want you to take from this article.....

1) Exercise Intensely with Weights

2) Perform cardio intervals equally as much as your longer cardio days.

3) Eat every 2-4 hours

4) Up your fruits and vegetables

5) Limit "starchy" carbs to the 2-3 hours after exercise only. Limit them in the evening, even if it's after exercise.

6) Implement consequences for your poor actions and reinforcing ones for your positive actions. Build that connection.

7) Cover your nutritional bases with just a few supplements

These are core to any successful fat loss program. Do these 90% of the time or more and you'll accomplish your fat loss goals!

~Thanks Eric for explaining in such great detail why we Should use the meal plan and work out the way we do! It really work...do BOTH and you will see results! For those of you that don't know, Eric is a GREAT and SUCCESSFUL trainer in AZ that I love to get his newsletters because he is always right on!