Overnight Oats

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Or as I like to say, heaven in a jar!

Ingredients:

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1/2 Cup of Oats (I use 1 Cup, but I try to eat a big breakfast)
1 Banana
1 Tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter (only ingredient is peanuts)
1 Tablespoon of Ground Flax
1 Scoop of Chocolate Whey Protein

You can use any type of glass or jar container, I just love the mason jars.

Scoop in your oats, ground flax and chocolate whey protein and cover the jar and shake around to get everything more mixed.  Add your almond milk (I don't measure my milk,  I just pour a little at a time until all of the oatmeal is moist and keep adding to my liking.  If you like your oatmeal more watery you'll want more almond milk).  Add your tablespoon of peanut butter and stir well.  Once everything is stirred, cut your banana into small slices or chunks and add to your oatmeal.  Stir again and once everything is set, leave in the fridge overnight.  In the morning it will be ready to eat!

Reasons You Aren't Seeing Results

Working at a gym for a few hours a week, I'm typically asked a good amount of questions by members who are working out.  After being asked a certain question and having a short conversation with a member, it deserved a post.  The conversation in a nutshell- "How do I get rid of this?" (pointing to their stomach). "Should I be doing more of the cardio machines for it?"  My answer was simple and honest.  I simply said that it takes a combination of things.  There is no "one" exercise that will spot reduce the part of your body that you don't like.  It takes strength training, cardio and eating healthy nutritious foods in order to see results.  They all work together.  When I mentioned the eating healthy part they proceeded to tell me that healthy food is more expensive and it was a lot easier to buy the frozen dinner then the expensive steak.  Eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive, and right there was one thing they were doing to sabotage their results.  Below i've put together a list.

Ways you might be sabotaging your results:

1.  Overeating and drinking your calories.  It's important to get in your daily amount of calories but often time's people may not realize when they are eating too much.  Starting your day off with a big breakfast is good and will give you energy through your morning, while also getting your metabolism going.  But if you aren't eating a decent size breakfast or one at all, that could cause you to overindulge during your lunch.  Also throw some snacks in between meals and your calories can add up pretty quickly.  I heard an analogy once that I loved.  Think of the order of your meals in terms of "king, queen and prince".  Breakfast being the biggest and dinner being the smallest.  If you are a snacker, this term can really come in handy because by the time you eat dinner, you could have already consumed a good amount of calories during your day.  Eating at a restaurant?  Your meal could add up to be your total daily amount just in one meal.  Most restaurant meals are loaded with extra fat and calories, so be aware.  Most places will list their menus online, so check out the menu before choosing.
Also keep in mind your drink choices.  Sodas, juices, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages all add up quickly if you're consuming more than 1 in a day.   Specialty drinks such as Starbucks run anywhere from 250-500 calories depending on size and type (not to mention the amount of sugar in them).  Try to get your calories from food instead of beverages.  Next time you have a drink look at the calories and serving size.  Chances are there are more than 1 serving in your bottle which means more calories then you see listed.

2.  Not eating enough.  Doing just the opposite of number one could be hurting your chances of seeing results as well.  You need to eat in order to see results.  When you don't eat enough calories, your body will go into starvation mode taking energy from muscle and storing more fat.  Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the amount of calories you need just to survive.  Most people are shocked when they see how many calories they need JUST if they were sedentary.  To find your BMR use the following calculation:
Women: 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Once you have your calculation, you can use this website to add in your activity level to get a more accurate amount of calories needed.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

3.  Eating too much "crap" and not enough healthy nutritious foods.  This doesn't need much of an explanation.  If you're choosing to eat highly processed foods at almost every meal, then don't expect the best results.  You can spend countless hours at the gym, but the results will not come quickly or as well if you are not eating properly.  Exercise won't make up for bad eating, plain and simple. 

4.  You're not pushing yourself and working out to your full potential.  If you're not working hard and challenging your body, don't expect to see major changes.  Our bodies are great at adapting, so doing light cardio or light strength training won't cause major changes when your body is used to walking and bending and lifting things up on a daily basis.  It's going to take you pushing yourself and REALLY working yourself to see results.  The amount of weight you lift should be difficult enough that by rep 12, you're fatigued.  For cardio exercise, you want to aim to reach your target heart rate (beginners can aim for the low end while moderate to advanced can work toward reaching the high end of your target HR).  Do the work, push yourself, and see the results.

5.  Not seeking help.   Let's face it.  There is soooo much information out there and thousands of different exercises.  It can definitely be overwhelming trying to learn what exercises to do and how to do them properly.  That's why us personal trainers exist!  To help you learn what exercises to do and how to do them with proper form.  We're also there to help you get out of a rut.  You may know how to do a few exercises, but you need to always be finding ways to change up your routine to continue to see progress and results.  So, don't be afraid to seek out help from a trainer.  It's our job! 

6. Not logging your workouts, progress and goals.  It's important to be tracking your workouts and progress. Logging your workouts will help you see when you need to increase your weight or change up your routine.  It's also a motivational tool.  If you see your results and progress your making, it'll keep you going and pushing harder.  I always schedule my workouts for the entire week so that I have it down on paper and don't have to even think about it the day of.  It also helps me to see what I've been doing for the past weeks so I know whether or not to change things up.  You also need to write down your goals. Goals are an important factor in your success.  You have to know what you are looking to accomplish so that you stay on track.  

7.  Not working on flexibility and taking rest days.  These two sort of go hand in hand for me, as they are both important for decreasing injury.  Most people are already on a time crunch, so they skip their warm up and cool down.  Don't.  Always warm up the body by doing at least a 5 minute dynamic warm up (moving the body) and save your static stretching (holding a stretch for 15-30 seconds) for after your workout.  Stretching for flexibility will help you move better, reduce your risk of injury,help improve your posture and help prevent major muscle soreness.
Not taking a day to rest will also increase your risk of injury.  It's important to give your body and muscles a break to recover.  Rest days are also important to prevent overuse injuries and overtraining.  Listen to your body and know when to step back or take a day off. 

8.  Not training every major muscle group.  It's really important to make sure you are training every major muscle group and not neglecting any.  Your body should be balanced.  Every major muscle has an opposing muscle, and they work together in terms of movement.  One should not be dominant over the other.  Having muscle dominance can cause injury and poor posture. 

That completes my main list of things I feel that people may be doing that slow down their progress or results.  Of course a few honorable mentions could also be things like chronic stress, not getting enough sleep and making excuses (whole other topic).  

If you find that you're not making progress or seeing results, really think about the things listed above.  How many are you doing?  Be honest with yourself.  Sometimes it does go more in depth then just this list (thyroid issues, hormone issues etc...) in which case seeking out a nutritionist or expert would be beneficial.  But if there are no underlying issues, then start eliminating the things that are sabotaging your progress.

Eating Healthy & Exercising on Vacation

Here is a blurb I posted to my Facebook page after my vacation this summer. I thought it deserved a repost as i'm anxiously awaiting my trip to Cali at the end of November! And yes, exercise is built into my vacation plans (5k, running the Golden Gate Bridge, hiking, and taking a Barre class with my sister).  I'll be sure to be blogging about those!

Staying Healthy on Vacation  

A question asked by many people, is how to eat healthy and get exercise in on vacation.  While you may not always have the choice to eat whole fresh foods, there are some things you can do on vacation to keep you on track.  It is harder to maintain your goals while away, and let's face it, you're on vacation and should be enjoying yourself!  But It's all about balance.  

Yes exercising and eating healthy are two very important things to me, and are a huge part of my life.  However, I have balance in my life and I allow myself to indulge or enjoy things once in awhile that may not be so good for me.  I enjoy adult beverages on the weekends and go out to the bars with friends.  Yes, ice cream and frozen yogurt are my all time favorite desert that I enjoy way more in summer.  But for me, it's all about balancing the bad with the good.  Do I eat ice cream everyday of the week? No.  Probably not even once a week, but I sure don't feel guilty when I have it!  Do I drink every night?  Nope...but I enjoy some good beer on the weekends!  So when it comes to going on vacation, I don't stress about the fact that I will be off my usual routine of exercise and healthy eating.

When it comes to vacation it's all about making "better" choices, even if they aren't the best.  While we were on vacation this past summer, all we had was a mini fridge and a microwave in our hotel room.  No stove to cook on.  Even with the fridge and microwave, we were only ever in the room to shower and sleep.  We were on the go which caused us to eat out at every meal (except most breakfasts).  Knowing this was going to happen, I made sure to 1. Pack healthier snacks for the drive and to have in the room (cashews, almonds, protein shakes, bananas etc...) 2.  I packed traditional rolled oats to have with fruit for breakfast and 3.  I packed my TRX suspension trainer, and my very supportive boyfriend made sure to book a hotel that had a fitness center.  When eating at restaurants I would order sandwiches or salads (dressing on the side) over fried food, or order a side of fruit or veggies with my meal.  One evening I ordered salmon with a side baby spinach salad for dinner (so delicious!)

I made my own breakfasts since our hotel only offered things like waffles, bagels or "eggs".  However, being down South meant great tasting food.... but not so good for you food.  But I allowed myself to have a meal or two that wasn't a better choice (hello Bar BQ bean burrito).  I wanted to have a taste of "southern cooking", I just made sure not to have a taste for every meal.  

As far as exercise, we walked everywhere!  Our hotel in Nashville was only a 15-20 minute walk from downtown so we were constantly walking from morning to night.  Not to mention we hiked a lot on our vacation (Smoky Mountains and on our drive home).  I also went for runs, did a TRX workout, ran on the treadmill in the fitness center and even did a quick strength training workout with the weights that were available.  Were my workouts long?  No... but I still got quick and effective workouts in.  

So, find your balance.  Help keep yourself on track by packing healthy snacks, making your own breakfasts, choosing better options while eating out,  walking instead of driving if possible, planning physical activities into your vacation (hiking, biking, running etc...), booking a hotel with a fitness center, packing travel friendly exercise equipment (suspension trainer or resistance bands), or simply doing bodyweight cardio and strength exercises a few days during the week. If it's important to you, you'll find a way.

Track Time!

Today's HIIT workout was done on the track.  However, it can be done on the treadmill or outdoors.  The track I ran on was 16 laps to a mile.

Warm Up: 5 minute jog (or I ran a whole mile)

Workout: About 20 minutes

Repeat 4X or until you've ran the track/treadmill for a whole mile

Jog 1 lap (1/16 mile)
Sprint 1 lap (1/16 mile)
Jog 1 lap (1/16 mile)
Sprint 1 lap (1/16 mile)
*After Every 1/4 mile)
30 sec Mt. Climbers
30 sec Plank Push Ups
Walk 1 lap

After you complete your mile:

Repeat 2X
45 sec Plank Jacks
45 sec Toe Taps on Bench
Walk a Lap

Cool Down: Walk 5 minutes

Chicken Fajitas and Parmesan Parsley Brown Rice

Ingredients: (2 servings)
-Chicken Breasts
-Peppers (1 1/2)
-Onion (1/2)
-Brown Rice (1/2 C)
-Fresh Shredded Parm (Handful)
-Light Sour Cream (Spoonful)
-Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Parsley and Lime Juice
-Olive Oil
-High Fiber Tortilla







While I rarely eat processed foods and flour products, I do believe that you need to find your balance with what you choose to eat.  I rarely have flour products (regular bread, pasta etc... I eat Ezekiel brand bread which is flourless), however I will have them on occasion.  I was really in the mood for a dinner with peppers and onions so I knew fajitas would be perfect! If you are going to eat flour products such as breads, pastas, wraps or tortillas, make sure they have at least 5 grams of fiber.


Marinade chicken breasts in lime juice and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder. While the chicken marinades, heat a large skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.  Slice pepper and onion into long strips.

Cook brown rice according to directions.  Add pepper and onion to large skillet and cook until tender.  Cook chicken on stove until cooked.  Once everything is cooked, chop chicken and add chicken, peppers, and onion to tortilla. Top with small spoonful of sour cream if desired.  When rice is cooked, add a handful of fresh parm and stir well.  Add parsley to rice as well and stir and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

                                                                                              A healthy twist to a classic!

Ingredients:
-1lb Lean Ground Turkey
-3-4 Small-Medium Sweet Potatoes
-Garlic (4 cloves)
-2 Carrots (chopped)
-1 Celery Stalk (chopped)
-1/2 Onion (diced)
-Milk (I used 1%) (1/2 Cup)
-Low Sodium Chicken Broth (About 1 1/4 Cup)
-Frozen Corn (1/2 Cup)
-Other Veggies of choice (peas, green beans etc...)
-Tomato Paste
-Paprika, Salt, Pepper & Onion Powder


Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400*

Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

-Peel and cube sweet potatoes
-Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic
-Boil sweet potatoes and garlic until cooked and soft
*Drain and add in 1/2 cup of milk and a dash of chicken broth, salt and pepper and mash with a potato masher.  Set aside.

Filling:

Brown your meat in a large saute pan and season as desired.  Once cooked, set aside on a plate.  While turkey is cooking, chop up carrots, celery, onion and 2 more cloves of garlic.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and on medium heat cook carrots, celery and onion until tender.  Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add corn, 1 cup of chicken broth, 2 tsps of tomato paste, cooked turkey and season with salt, pepper and onion powder.  Simmer for 5-10 more minutes.

In a deep baking dish, layer the bottom with the filling.  Layer your mashed sweet potatoes on top and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake 20-30 minutes, serve and enjoy!

"Quick" Lunches

I was recently asked for some healthy "quick" lunch ideas.  A client had come to me asking this question because when she's in a rush out the door in the morning, grabbing a frozen option like Lean Cuisine was her solution.  Knowing it wasn't the best option; she wanted to know some other options instead.  When it comes to frozen meals, a lot tend to be high in sodium and have a bunch of stuff in them that we don't need to be eating.

If you are going to go the frozen route, choose a bag of frozen veggies in a steamer bag.  Veggies are great for us, so having a frozen veggie bag over a frozen lunch would be a better option.  However, they are low in calories, so pack simple grab and go items such as fruit and yogurt as well.

My other suggestion was to just plan ahead and buy simple grab and go items each week at the store.  If you know you are going to have a busy week ahead and might run into the issue of having to run out the door in the morning, then make sure to buy some simple staples at the grocery store for the week.  One idea would be to buy a bag of salad, fruit that is easy to grab and eat such as bananas, apples or grapes, a couple snack size veggie packs and a few single serving yogurts.  In the morning just throw your items in your lunchbox and head out the door.  Each item is simple enough to just grab and take with you and is a more nutritious option then frozen lunches.

Also, make extra when cooking dinner so you have leftovers for lunch.  It's a quick and easy option.  Just start to think of items that are healthy but can be thrown into your lunch when your in a rush.  Keep it simple!